Harry Potter: loser
by HP.HG. fan forever
Summary: Harry had just won the war, but what had he won. Every one he loved is gone and decides to leave for parts unknown. Little does he know how far he will go. A/U Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

Summary; The war over, Harry contemplates his loss while in another time and place a hero is needed. Can Harry find what he lost or will he even try? A/U Time travel.

A/N: Don't own Harry Potter or any of the Characters of JKR.

Chapter 1. The aftermath: What did I win exactly?

Harry Potter, 'the Boy-Who-Lived', 'the Chosen One', 'liar, cheat, the next dark lord. So many titles had been given to him during his life. He didn't feel he deserved any of these. It all depended on what was going on or who you asked at the time which one fit. Right now the only title he felt he deserved was "loser". Those around him would ask why; after all he had just killed the most hated and evil Dark Lord in ages. He should be happy, proud at such an accomplishment at the age of seventeen. But as he stands here on top of what is left of the astronomy tower, he contemplates his victory. What did he have to be proud of?

At first when he entered this world of magic, it seemed a godsend, freedom from the Dursleys. That turned out to be a temporary reprieve as every summer he had to return. Other than the fact he should have studied harder in his first year and had to deal with the fame for some dumb thing he couldn't even remember, he thought that he had done quite well. He helped save Hermione from a big ass troll, helped save the stone and sent Moldyshorts packing. Not bad he thought for an eleven year old, but then he wouldn't have had to save the girl if his best friend hadn't insulted her bad enough that the girl was contemplating going home and leave magic behind forever. Damn Dursleys, damn Ron. If it weren't for those two he would have appreciated her intelligence sooner.

Looking back at the end of term feast, what the hell was Dumbledore thinking? He could have easily awarded the points that won Gryffindor the house cup before hand and then explained the points. But nooo, he let Slytherin think they had won and then pulled the rug out from under them. No wonder they hate Gryffindors.

Second year: Lockheart, what a moron. Thinking back Harry felt that Hermione would have made a better teacher. He wasn't even a good actor. It seemed like every time there was a camera present, for what ever reason, Lockheart was there. He just wouldn't take the hints that he could care less about fame and fans. They wouldn't bring his parents back. I tried to avoid attention, but it seemed like every body tried to thrust it on him. Except Hermione. She seemed to be the only one to understand. Ron said he did but he always was the one to mention the fame and money. Then there was the snake incident during the dueling club, was it fear of the unknown, or superstition that made them fear those that could speak to snakes? Again Ron showed the stupidity of the wizard world. He was supposed to be my friend, had known me for over a year, I even lived in his home for close to a month, but you could see the fear in his eyes, the doubt. Hermione was only concerned that I could hear a voice no one else could.

I wonder some times if there aren't some lingering side affects of the poly-juice mishap from that year, cause I would swear that sometimes when she was curled up next to me on a few rare occasions, she purred. When she was petrified I thought we were all done for. The feeling of loss without her around was almost unbearable. Would I have felt the same if it had been Ron instead? I don't know but I don't think so. I was counting on her to tell me what was attacking everybody. It makes me sick to think of all the time I spent with her in the hospital wing and never found her note. Just holding the wrong hand delayed finding out the truth for an additional month and a half.

Why didn't the staff or at least Dumbledore know what was going on? I mean the castle has hundreds if not thousands of portraits that see and hear everything that goes on in the corridors. Wouldn't they report what they see if it's a threat to the school? Dumbledore was here the first time it was opened and the girl's ghost is still here. Why didn't he ever talk to her and seal the bathroom so no one could get in to open it again.

The minister, ugh! What an idiot, sending Hagrid to Azkaban just so he could look like he was doing something. He had never been found guilty the first time, so why believe he was now. If they had the authority to do that, then why not send in a team of investigators to find out what the hell was going on? Speaking of idiots, what the heck were me and Ron thinking going to Lockheart? We knew he was a fraud, or at least I did. What good did we think he would be? If we were going to use him as an early warning for the Basilik, he should have been twenty feet in front of us, not close enough to steal Ron's wand.

Then there's the chamber itself. Simple right? Go in, get the girl and get out. Simple right? WRONG! First there's the evil spirit of Moldyshorts draining her life force and then there is the matter of a sixty foot god damn Basilik to deal with. Another damsel saved another near death experience. I wonder some times if I should have thanked Fawkes or cursed him for saving me that year.

The only thing my summer hols are good for is to help me appreciate Hogwarts all the more.

Third year is another prime example of the ministers "intelligence". There's an oxymoron if ever I heard one. Dementors protecting a school full of children. Come on. Just knowing that they're even half a mile away is enough to give any kid nightmares. Allowing them to board the train with no protection, darn right stupid. I have enough nightmares without them to help me along, thank you very much. I never had a chance to think about that year, what with everybody concerned because they make me black out, but I really feel for Ginny. After her first year experience a few months ago with Moldyshorts in her head for most of the year and now this. Yeah sweet dreams now I'm sure.

The million galleon question for them to be here at all is why? Supposedly some mass murder broke out of Azkaban, the first in the history of the place. Hmmm, let me get this right, a mass murder has escaped from prison, first man to ever do this and Dementors are the guards of Azkaban and he got away from them, but they're here to recapture him. He's been on the loose for months. But because he was heard saying 'He's at Hogwarts' a few times before he escaped they put class 5 dark creatures there to protect the children. Excuse me? If I was his target, get me out of the school and save the others the torment of being around the Dementors.

Enough ranting on that subject. Hermione, ah sweet Hermione. Big concern 'Harry, promise me you won't go after him?' I did make that promise. It was easy. I mean come on. I'm not the idiot some people think I am. Even I'm smart enough to realize a third year is no match for a mass murder. The facts that I was given and over heard made me angry true, and I swore that if he came after me I would kill him given the chance. Sadly the truth was nothing like I was led to believe. Sirius was innocent of all charges. The true traitor and mass murder had been hiding in plain sight as a rat ever since the day. Rats, even magical rats don't live for thirteen years folks. How did a pure-blood family miss that fact?

Then there was the broomstick incident. Some friend I was. Yeah I was upset Hermione went behind my back and went to McGonagall, but she was in her 'saving Harry mode'. Didn't speak to her for weeks and why? Because she cared for me and Ron wouldn't let it go. Ron may have been my first friend but Hermione was my best friend. How many times did I let Ron cloud my judgment because of that one fact?

The only good things that came out of that year was a really good DADA teacher, I learned the protronus charm and Hermione got to fly on a hippogriff. Sirius got away and I had a chance to get to know him and Remus a lot better. Both connections to my parents. I just wish the rat hadn't got away too. I think fate hates me.

Fourth year and the world cup. Some times I wonder why I bothered to save the wizarding world. They are such sheep. The world cup was a fantastic experience with wizards from all over the world there, but really folks can't you defend yourselves at all. I mean here we had thousands of witches and wizards and they let about a dozen people in mask scatter them like leafs in the wind. You don't have to great at defense against the dark arts to stop them. Twenty or thirty people casting aguamenti and they would be too busy trying to stay on their feet. Where was the ministry? Busy trying to make sure that muggles didn't see us. Bet we really impressed the foreigners.

Then we get to the Tri-wizard Tournament. Fun time there kiddies. Another year when I wonder why I even come to school. Oh yeah to get away from Durzkaban. My own personnel hell on earth. Why did anybody believe I would enter such a thing? I had mediocre grades. Hermione was the only one that ever told my she thought I was a great wizard. I had money, I don't know how much but it looked like a lot. Fame, come on people. How many times do I have to tell you I hate fame and attention of a public nature?

Hermione, god love that woman. I'll miss her more than anyone. Between researching, teaching and just plain caring, I would not have made it through that year or any other for that matter without her. Another year that pointed out how just much my early years affected me. I treated Hermione the same as a guy. I knew she was a girl but the school robes hid it so much of the time it slips the mind of a fourteen year old. That is until the Yule ball. What an eye opener that was. There was no denying she was all girl after that. And then Ron went and ruined it for her, calling her a traitor for going with Krum. Hey, I was happy if she was happy. I wish now that I had asked myself, but you know what they say, Hindsight is 20/20. Ron turned out to be such a disappointment. Why couldn't I see it earlier? He told me he fancied Hermione in our third year. Well if the way he treated her was fancying someone, I'm glad I didn't fancy anyone.

There is not a lot to say about the first task. Hermione drove herself to distraction to make sure I knew the spell that saved my ass. How much of her own study time did I cost her that year. You'll never hear her complain though. I did but she said "Look at all the new spells I learned."

How did Ron wind up as my hostage in the second task? Krum may have taken Hermione to the ball, but we were still together all the time. Ron and I had been at odds since my name came out of the cup. My up-bringing strikes again during the task. I take the message (clue) literally. If everyone isn't rescued, they will die. So I rescue Fleur's sister and damn near die for the effort. Idiot. Hermione calls it 'my people saving thing'. What can I say? I don't like for people to get hurt if I can help it.

Third task was a maze. Who the hell thought of these tasks? The only one that the spectators got to see was the first. The second was under water and now were in a maze with twenty foot high walls. You can't hear or see what is going on. I got a little suspicious that something wasn't right about half way through. I figured I should have run into more obstacles than I did. I should have really got suspicious when I found Krum torturing Cedric. It was plain that he was under the 'Imperious curse' and there was only one person there that could have seen through those hedges. Mad-Eye Moody.

For all my people saving thing, I could not save Cedric. We just weren't alert enough. I'm not saying we should all be like the real Moody, but if strange things happen you need to be on high alert. It may have saved Ced's life it may not, but it would have lasted longer. All of this was an elaborate set up so I could help restore Voldemort to a body. Oh Joy. It wasn't bad enough having his spirit after me, now I have the real thing. Voldemort, what a piece of work he is. What an ass. I bet he feels real proud of himself. After kidnapping me from the tournament where I got banged up a bit, he calls his death munchers to him so they can witness the death of the-boy-who-lived.

Let me tell you folks the 'cruciatus curse' hurts like hell. I was under it three times before ol' Voldy decided we should duel. Then he tried the 'Imperious'. Thank Moody/Crouch Jr. for a preview of that one. With a bit of luck and some ancient magic of our wands, I managed to escape right into the clutches of Crouch Jr. who was determined that I was going to die that night one way or another. I can only imagine what Hermione was going through that night, not knowing what was going on. My disappearing from the school and then the long conversations and questioning after.

The truth; wizards seem to fear the truth. I wonder if Fudge is in love with the Dementors? He had one with him that night and had it 'kiss' Jr. on the spot, not even taking him into custody to find out how he escaped Azkaban or why he was at Hogwarts. He destroyed any proof we had as to what happened. Reminds me of third year when he wanted Sirius 'kissed' immediately instead of trying to find out the truth.

Wizard health care sucks too. We have potions and spells that can cure just about anything physical, but what about mental health? Four years in a row I have either been involved with death or some other traumatic experience and what happens, I get shipped back to people who could care less if I lived or died. People who would probably celebrate if I did die. Not only that, but Dumbledore decides it would be bin my best interest for my friends not to write as I 'need time to grieve'. B.S. This is the time I need my friends the most.

Then when I'm allowed to leave Durzkaban, they take me to my godfather's home. It would have been better if I got time to actually be with him, but nooo. We have to clean the place up first. What did prison do to this man? I had heard how brave he was so why was he letting Molly tell him what to do in his own home? Why did she constantly pair me with Ginny? There were things I wanted to discuss with Hermione. Alone.

I should have seen it then. Keeping me and Hermione apart, pairing her with Ron, and keeping the pairs apart as much as possible. I was just too blind at the time to see it. Why was it that every time I got a chance to talk to Sirius Molly would hunt me down for some other task? A task that could have waited a little while longer. What was she afraid he would tell me? I just wanted to know about my parents and what they were like.

What is with Ginny? We hadn't said more than 'Hi' for the past three years and now every time I look in her direction she's flipping her hair over her shoulder. She must think it looks attractive.

People often tell me I look just like my dad. I've seen pictures of him and I have to agree that I do look a lot like him. The comment was made that Ginny looks like my mom. Huh? Yeah she has red hair but mom's was more auburn and wavy. They say 'like father ,like son'. Does that mean I'm predestined to marry a red head? No. If that was true, why didn't my dad marry a woman with black hair and a pure-blood? Grandma Potter was. From what I have learned about my mom and Grandma, the only thing they had in common was their intelligence. They were both highly intelligent. That would point me more towards Hermione. Besides there are at least three other red heads in or year alone. Ginny is almost as bad as Ron when it comes to Quidditch. I love the game and flying but it's not my life. Helping the team win games by capturing the snitch is something that I can be proud because I did it on my own. It's something that I'm good at. It's recognition I earned.

Another point about wizards not wanting to know the truth was the smear campaign against me and Dumbledore that year. Why, with all the titles and top positions he held, did no one believe Dumbledore. Why did they believe Fudge? Fame is a fickle thing. I could some what understand school kids opinions changing from one minute to the next. They're still learning and forming their opinions. Adults shouldn't be so easy to manipulate by the paper. But then when you have only one paper to give you news, maybe I'm wrong. Hmm? Where is there only one newspaper?

Fifth year and Umbitch. What a year that was. How did I let Hermione talk me into starting the D.A. Simple, my 'saving people thing'. How could I not try to teach a subject we were so sorely lacking in. Five years and only one decent D.A.D.A. professor, what else could I do? Again Hermione and her organization and research, what would I do with out them.

Then there was Snape and his brand of Occlumency was more like mind rape. It seemed to make it easier for Voldy to get into my mind then keep him out. Why were there no books on the subject in the library? Why did Dumbledore avoid me all year?

At the end of the year was another desperate rescue mission that turned out to be a trap. It's so plain in hindsight. There was enough truth in previous visions not to believe this one was the same. And it cost Sirius his life. The only good thing was people saw Voldemort there and now believe. A year too late. A year in which Voldemort was building up his forces while the ministry did nothing.

Another summer after an emotionally and mentally scaring year. No help, no therapy and again no communication with my friends. Why did none of the teachers or the school healer notice I always lost weight every the summer? Hermione did. She sent me food packages as often as Hedwig could make it to her.

Sixth year was so out of character for me and Hermione. We argued. We argued! We never argue. We have differences off opinions but we never argued. And over a book. It turns out we were both right about that potions book. Though it was not like the dairy of Tom Riddle, it still had its own dangers.

Why wouldn't she believe me about Draco. I agree we never got along, but I wouldn't blindly accuse him of attempted murder for that reason alone. I'm not that petty. I was right in the end. I wish I hadn't been.

When did we decide to settle for second best? Ron was no more a match for her than Ginny was for me.

Why did it take Dumbledore all year to show me what should not have taken a month. I realize that he's a busy man, but what we were doing was too important to delay. It killed him in the end. I wonder some times if he shouldn't have retired years ago. It was hard to figure out what his priorities were.

Seventh year, I don't know who had it worse that year. Me, Hermione and Ron or the kids that came back to school. Even though we were hunted and had a dangerous task to complete, we didn't have death eaters on us all day long every day. Those who stayed and resisted are more of a hero than I am.

The only good that came from this past year was me and Hermione getting to talk. After Ron bailed on us for two months, we had a chance to talk about a lot of things. It was hard at first. Clueless male here. At least I didn't need a book like Ron. I wonder how much was the book and how much was Ron? I hated seeing Hermione hurt after Ron left and it took me a while to figure out how to comfort her without ruining our friendship. Turns out we were both in denial of our feelings for one another. Being noble sucks. I denied my feeling for her because of Ron, even claimed she was like a sister to keep from offending Ron. Hermione told me that when I hadn't made a move by sixth year, she was going to separate her self from me and settle for Ron. Ron the git. Ron the jealous. Ron the betrayer.

We had to come to Hogwarts to finish our task and wound up fighting what turned out to be the final battle. A lot of old and forgotten magic came in to play otherwise I don't think I stood a chance. But it cost, it cost me dearly. It cost me Hermione. Ron was supposed to stay with her, cover her back. He didn't. He left again and this time it cost Hermione her life.

So what did I win? Nothing. What did I lose? Everything. Hermione, Fred, Remus, Tonks, Collin, Sirius, Cedric, and the list goes on.

I have no hopes and dreams anymore. Not here.

Harry picked up his back pack and prepared to leave. In it are the few passions he has that he holds dear. His invisibility cloak, some clothes, four shrunk trunks. One full of galleons, one with the family heirlooms, one had the Black family library and the last had his personal stuff and a picture of him and Hermione. He had no idea where he is going. He just knew he couldn't stay here.

A/N; I know this is kind of long but I wanted you to see where Harry was before the meat of the story started. Some of this may be repeated as flashbacks. R&R


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: JKR owns the characters, only the plot is mine.

Chapter 1:Help us please?

A fifteen year old witch was in trouble. What she was about to do was, she knew, very dangerous and bordered on the illegal. She was an underage witch and about to do some very powerful magic in a cemetery over the grave of the last person to defeat the threat to her world. The grave of Harry Potter. He died the night he defeated Voldemort on Halloween back in '81. She hoped this ritual will bring a similar hero now to help save her world. It had taken four hours to set up the pentagram and the necessary rues and the tokens. Now all that was left was the blood sacrifice and the incantation. It had taken her months to find this ritual and more months to practice this particular incantation. She stood at the northern most point and sliced her palm open and began to chant. The runes started to glow and she could feel the magic being pulled from her body. She hoped it would be enough. After fifteen minutes of constant chanting and blood letting, a figure stood in the center of the pentagram just as she passed out.

Harry Potter knew some thing strange had just happened because he was no longer on the astronomy tower of Hogwarts. It took a minute to clear his vision and when he did, he nearly fainted. There on the ground in front of him was a woman he thought he would never see gain. Hermione Granger. He knelt beside her to see what was going on. The palm of her left hand was still bleeding. Being on the run with the brightest witch of the age for ten months you learn a few things. A quick episky and her palm was healed He wondered how much blood she lost to bring him here.

"Hermione." He said softly and got no response.

"Hermione!" still no response.

"**Hermione!"** "Please answer me."

"Ugghh"

"Hermione, how did you get here?"

"Car."

"Did you drive?" He knew she didn't look old enough to drive but had to ask.

"Parents….waiting."

That was all he needed to know as he picked her up and carried her bridal style toward the gate. He wondered for the first time why she used this particular cemetery as he passed through the 'Kissing Gate'. He saw the Mercedes 2000 series out side the gate, but not the occupants. He turned and leaned back against the car setting off the alarm glad that her parents drove a top of the line model. It was only seconds later that the man he thought was Hermione's father came out of the café' across the street. He was stout but not fat, probably in his late forty's.

"Get away from my car…" his voice trailed off as he came around and saw his daughter in this strangers arms. "What happened to her and who the hell are you?"

"Harry Potter and this is how I found her."

The man Looked at Harry and than turned to look back at the cemetery a couple of times. "H-Harr-y?"

"Yes, that's me. If you don't mind opening the door, your daughter is starting to get heavy." Harry stepped away so he could open the back door.

"Of course, of course." As he reached past Harry to open the door.

After Harry had Hermione laid down in the back seat of the luxury sedan. He stood and turned extending his hand, "Harry Potter, not sure how I got here but here I am."

"Dan Granger, Hermione's father. As to how you got here, that would be Hermione. To tell the truth, I didn't think it would work."

"Is your wife here too?"

Dan slapped his forehead. "She's still in the café'. We just figured someone bumped the car."

"You need to get her. Hermione needs attention ASAP."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Blood loss and exhaustion as far as I can tell. How long will it take to drive to your home from here?"

"About six hours."

"That's too long.' Harry raked his right hand through his hair. 'You need to get Jane, now."

"How do you know my wife's name?"

"I'll explain later. Time is running out, Dan, get your wife."

Dan hurried into the café', paid his bill and was back in less than three minutes.

"We may not have a lot of time so I'm going to make this short. You apparently know Hermione's a witch. I'm a wizard. She needs help. There is a magic way of transport called apparation. You will feel like you're being squeezed through a tube, but it will not hurt you. Now I need you to trust me. I'm going side-a-long apparate you, Mrs. Granger. I need you to look in my eyes and picture Hermione's bedroom. I'll take you there and come back for Hermione. Then Mr. Granger can drive home. Hopefully she has what I need in her trunk."

"How do I know I can trust you?" argued Mr. Granger.

"You don't, but if I meant you harm, you would already be dead." He looked at Mrs. Granger, "Ready?"

She looked in Harry's eyes and gasped at first at what she saw, then nodded. Harry gripped her upper arm and with a soft pop, he was gone.

"Mrs. Granger, while I'm gone, get in her trunk and remove her potion kit and cauldron. Take them to the kitchen. I'll brew what she needs when I get back."

When he returned to Godric's Hollow a moment later Mr. Granger had already started the car. Harry opened the rear door and carefully removed Hermione from the rear seat. "Have a safe journey Granger. Hermione will need you alive."

He closed the door and was gone.

Harry gently laid Hermione on her bed, then stood back and looked at her for the first time. She looked just like his Hermione did two years ago, before the war started to take its toll on her. Unknown to him tears started down his face. He didn't know how long he stood there mourning until Mrs. Granger touched his elbow.

"She's going to be alright, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she should be." Harry said as he unconsciously wiped the tears from his face. "Where's the kitchen. I need to brew that potion."

"Down stairs. Follow me." She turned and led Harry down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Harry looked into the potion kit on the table. "Some things never change." He said with a small smile, and started to remove the necessary ingredients to brew a blood replenishment potion, put the cauldron on the stove and set the burner.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Granger inquired.

"My Hermione would have had the exact same ingredients' in her kit."

"Your Hermione? What do you mean, 'your Hermione'?"

"I'm not sure.' He frowned, 'Maybe it's the same Hermione. I'm a little confused right now. Let's get her fixed up and then we can figure out where and when I am." Harry responded as he prepared the ingredients. "I need for you to remove Hermione's clothes and get her ready for bed. I imagine she will be out for the next twelve to twenty four hours. She should be in something comfortable."

Mrs. Granger stepped back and shook her head, amazed at the ease at which this young man just stepped in and took over. From the look she had seen in his eyes before he brought her home, he had seen and done things a man his age shouldn't have. She contemplated this as she went up stairs and did as he ordered. No, that's not right. He didn't order her, it was more a request or a suggestion.

She had just pulled the cover up over her daughter when Harry knocked on the door. "Is she decent?"

"Yes." She responded and Harry entered the room with a glass with a red looking liquid.

"I need your help. I need you to raise her up a little and let her head tilt back. I'll have to open her mouth to pour this in and maybe help her swallow it. Then all we can do is wait." Mission accomplished, Harry conjured a chair, sat down and held her right hand.

Mrs. Granger was amazed at the chair that just materialized out of thin air. "Who are you?" she asked in pure amazement.

"Sorry. Harry, Harry Potter. I thought maybe Mr. Granger told you when he got you from the café'."

"No. He just said we had to leave now. Where did you come from?"

"Truthfully, I don't know. Hermione here apparently did something to bring me to here. How or why I don't know."

"Did you know my daughter?"

Harry frowned and thought for a moment. "I knew 'a' Hermione Granger. Whether or not this is the same one, I don't know. Did she ever mention me in letters from school?"

"No. Your name was never mentioned until the end of last summer while she was researching. Apparently some evil wizard that was supposed to have been killed in back in '81 has come back and she was looking for a way to send him back where he came from. Apparently you killed when he attacked your home. What I don't understand is how you are here when according to her research you died that night too."

Harry sat back in his chair, never letting go of her hand, contemplating. "Well then she is not the Hermione I knew. I need her awake to find out why she did what she did. In the mean time I think it would be best if no one knows that I'm here. I need a better understanding of what's going on, who's alive and who she trust, if anybody."

Jane Granger studied Harry in silence for a moment, then out of curiosity she asked, "Harry, were you a soldier?"

Harry was shocked by the question and it showed on his face when he looked at Mrs. Granger. "W-Why do you ask?"

"It's in your eyes, Harry. Every man that has seen war or a lot of death has the same look."

Harry sighed a deep breath looking down at the hand he held. What could he tell this woman? That he saw her daughter die? That everyone that he ever cared for was killed because of a maniac? Because he trusted the wrong people? That he couldn't end the war soon enough? He decided to keep it simple. "Yes." He half whispered. Then his stomach growled and Harry blushed at the sound.

"You must be hungry. Would you like some tea and something to eat?"

"I don't want to be a bother…"

"Non-sense, Harry. You're saving my daughter's life."

"A couple of sandwiches and some tea would be nice."

Mrs. Granger returned fifteen minutes later with a plate of sandwiches and a pot of tea with milk, sugar and honey. She pulled out the desk chair and watched as Harry ate noticing that he never took his eyes off her daughter. Things started to click in her head. Harry loved her daughter from where ever he was from and apparently she had died or he wouldn't have left or if he was pulled away from her he would have been very angry.

"Tell me about your self, Harry."

"There's not much to say, Mrs. Granger…"

"Jane, please call me Jane."

"All right, Jane. I'm an orphan. My parents were killed by a maniac when I was a baby. I was raised by people that didn't like me much. Found out I was a wizard on my eleventh birthday. I went to Hogwarts and met my first friends, fell in love, was betrayed a few times, ended a war. That's my life in a nut shell." He said in a bland voice and a shrug of his shoulders.

Jane was no psychologist, but she knew people. Harry was hiding a lot. From the look she had seen in his eyes there was a lot of pain in what he hadn't said. She looked at her watch, it was nearly ten and she knew Dan wouldn't be home for hours yet.

"Harry we have a spare bedroom if you want to lay down for a bit."

"I'm fine."

"It'll be a while yet before Dan gets home. I'll see you in the morning. The guest room is just down the hall if you change your mind." She laid a hand on his shoulder before she left the room.

Dan Granger normally had the patience of a saint, but right now he wanted to be home to find out how his daughter was doing. He was tempted to push the Mercedes to its limit, but then he remembered Harry's words, "_Have a safe journey home, Mr. Granger. Hermione will need you alive_." What did he mean by that? Did he know something or was it just concern? What ever it was he would heed the advice and be there for his little princess what ever the reason.

At two thirty in the morning, with reflexes honed in battle, Harry jumped from his chair wand at the ready when Dan Granger burst through his daughter's bedroom door. His wand tip glowed as the stunner left his wand and struck Mr. Granger. Frozen in place, fear and disgust were etched on his face as he realized what he had done. Jane appeared instantly and knelt next to her fallen husband and looked at Harry quizzically. "What happened?"

'I...I g-guess I was d-d-dozing a-and he burst through the d-door and I stunned him." Harry stuttered out around the limp in his throat. "Sorry, war reflexes." Harry apologized as he walked over and cast 'envenerate'.

It was a slightly groggy Dan Granger that sat up and uttered "What the hell?"

"Dan. Language!" reprimanded Jane.

Harry snickered.

"What's so funny?" Demanded Dan.

"That was so reminiscent of my Hermione." Harry replied as he sat down again.

"What may I ask are you doing in my daughters' bedroom?" Dan asked rather heatedly.

"Watching, guarding." Under his breathe he mumbled 'praying'.

"Dan you're tired. We're all tired. Let's get some sleep and talk in the morning. There are a lot of things we don't know yet." Urged Jane.

"And you trust this, this boy alone in our daughter's bedroom?" he said pointing at Harry.

"YES." She said forcefully.

Dan looked at the steel in his wife's eyes and knew there was something about this young man that had won her trust completely. He didn't understand it, but he knew to trust his wife.

"Okay." He said evenly.

Harry was amazed. Jane was not a big woman and Dan, he was sure, could have easily hurt her. Yet he had backed down when Jane had answered him with conviction. Just like he had when Hermione did the same to him.

At six the next morning the adult Grangers woke to the smell of coffee tea and bacon. Knowing Hermione couldn't cook to save her life, they were curious what was going on. When they entered their kitchen, they found Harry at the range slipping an omelet on to a plate. He turned to set the plate on the table with the other two all ready there.

"Morning." He greeted them when he saw them with a smile. "I hope you don't mind that I fixed breakfast?"

The Grangers stood there a moment with their mouths slightly gapping. "No. Not at all. Not many young men can cook."

With a shrug he replied, "It was required for me growing up."

They all sat down to eat. "This is marvelous," exclaimed Emma. Dan nodded his head in agreement as he savored the food in his mouth.

"This is as good as yours, Em.' Dan tired as compliment.

"Nice try Dan, but you know as well as I do, I could never cook this good."

Harry blushed at the compliment. "I'm sure you could if you're any cook at all. I could teach you how I did this. It's quite simple really."

"Very well I'll do my best to learn," she replied with a smile.

"If I could teach Hermione who couldn't cook, you should be able to pick it up the first time."

"You taught Hermione how to cook like this?" Dan asked in surprise.

"Well not this good, but she did a very good job of it."

Dan and Emma just looked at each other.

"Do either of you have to work today? I'm sorry but I don't know what day of the week it is and if you're like my Hermione's parents, you have a dental practice to run."

"Well it just happens to be Saturday, so no neither of us needs to go to work today. And yes we are both dentist too. Why?" Emma replied.

"While I wait for you daughter to wake up, I would like to get to know you and her. Find out what you know that will help me understand what is going on."

"We can do that. Shall we go to the sitting room?" asked Dan.

"I would prefer to be able to monitor Hermione while we talk. I can conjur comfortable chairs in her room for us."

"You can do magic with out getting into trouble?" asked Emma.

"Yes, I'm of age. The trace automatically dispels on your seventeenth birthday or if you know the spell to disable it. I know it and will remove the trace from Hermione's wand. If you want that is."

"I'm not sure that is a good idea." Said Dan hesitantly as they walked up to Hermione's room.

"The trace in my world is put there for two reasons. One to track children of first gen. witches and wizards and two to keep the secrecy of our world. I don't know about here. Do you trust Hermione to not abuse this gift?"

"Of course we trust Hermione, it's just she has never been able to do magic at home before."

"I know and it always bothered her that she couldn't show you she was learning. Now she will be able to. And I can put up some wards that will be able to hide the fact that she is."

"Wards?" asked Emma.

"Magical barriers that you can't see without mage sight or the proper spell." Explained Harry. With three quick flicks of his wand three comfortable chairs appeared in the bedroom.

"So tell me about you and Hermione. I never got a chance to meet you in my world." Harry stated as he sat near Hermione.

"Well as we said we're both dentist. We meet at Uni. during our second year. We dated and fell in love. We married just out of school and had Hermione two years later. Unfortunately due to complications in her birth, I was unable to have any more children. We thought about adopting once but for some reason never followed through with it. So Hermione was an only child. There were many times as she got older, we wished that we had gone a head and adopted. She was so lonely growing up. No matter how hard she tried, she just never seemed to be able to make friends."

"Her love for books and learning." Interjected Harry.

"A mirror image of her in your world, Harry?" asked Dan.

"Very much so.' Harry reminisced as he looked at the girl in the bed. 'Even after she entered the magical world where she thought she would finally fit in, she found it hard. She just had a hard time helping others without coming off to strong. It took a troll and a couple of immature boys to get her to relax. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen."

"A troll?" asked Dan.

Harry looked at him as if he forgot who he was talking to. "It's not important." Harry waved it off. "So, what has she told you that might help me understand why she nearly killed herself to bring me here?"

"She only has two friends at that school of hers, a young man named Neville I believe." Harry eyes shot up in surprise. 'and a young girl named Luna." Emma noticed Harry's look of surprise. "They're just friends Harry, nothing romantic I can assure you. The only other people she mentions are her teachers. A Professor McGonagall and Professor Potter."

"P-P-Potter?" Harry stammered.

"Yes, they seem quite close. She helped Hermione research the ritual she used to bring you here. Why do you seem so surprised?"

Harry had to take a couple of minutes to get himself back together. "It could be my mother,' Harry all but whispered. 'I never met my mother. As I told you last night, I'm an orphan."

"Oh dear." Emma gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Do you really think so?"

"Maybe. I don't want to get my hopes up."

"I can understand that. You poor dear."

Harry stood and walked to the window near the head of the bed and looked out at the back garden in full bloom in the mid-morning light. "You have a beautiful garden. Do you take care of it yourself?" harry inquired trying to change the subject. Even with all he had been through, he refused to be pitied.

"Yes I do. It's a hobby, you know. Just something to do. It relaxes me. Do you garden?"

"Not in a while. Too busy truing to stay alive. When I was a child it was one of the chores I had to do. I didn't really mind, it got me out of the house for a while." He responded blandly with another shrug of his shoulders.

"Did you have nothing that you had a passion for?" asked Emma.

Harry returned to his seat, "Defense was my best subject, flying on my broom was as close to bliss as I could get. The only thing that felt better was holding my Hermione." He stated as a lone tear leaked out of his left eye.

Dan and Emma exchanged a knowing look.

Dan cleared his throat. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"

Harry hung his head and with a heavy sigh. "She died. A week ago we entered what turned out to be the final battle where I finally killed the leader of the terrorist in the magical world. The one that had dogged me all my life. I trusted my best friend to watch here back. He betrayed that trust once again. When I finally had a chance to look for her, she was dead. My friend was no where to be seen. He tried to apologize, but I had heard from others that he just left."

He looked at Hermione as he continued, "I had emptied my vaults and collected all that I owned and was ready to leave England for parts unknown when she brought me here. Everything I own is in that ruck-sack." Harry nodded to his pack by Hermione's bed.

Dan looked at it. "That's not much Harry."

"Ah, but that's the beauty of magic Dan. There are four trunks in there that are one and a half times the size of Hermione's school trunk."

A/N: Next chapter, Hermione wakes up.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry or any of the characters JKR introduced.

Chapter 2: Hermione's story

It was noon and Dan and Emma had gone down to make lunch. Harry was sitting in his chair close to Hermione's bed holding her hand, when he noticed her eyes start to flutter open.

"Hey there. How you doing?" He asked softly.

Not knowing who he was, she pulled her hand from him and pulled her blanket up tight about her neck. Eyes wide in freight she asked, "Who are you and where am I?"

"As for who I am Harry Potter, the man you summoned. As for where we are, we are in your bedroom. If you will calm down, I will call your parents."

"There here?"

"Of course they're here. Why wouldn't they be?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face.

He walked to the door, "Dan, Emma, she's awake. You might want to bring some tea of juice." He remained by the door in order to keep from frightening her until her parents could calm her down and reassure her that she was in no danger.

Dan arrived moments later with a hot cup of tea with a trace of honey. Harry smiled as he smelt the tea as Dan passed him with the cup. '_More and more of the same of the girl I knew.'_

"Hi, there princess. How are you feeling?" Hermione never took her eyes off Harry.

"Who's that," she asked, pointing at Harry.

"Didn't he introduce himself? That's Harry Potter. Not what you expected is it, Princess?"

"To tell the truth Dad, I didn't know what to expect. Why is he here in my room?"

"He saved your life after the ritual called him here. If it hadn't worked, you probably would have died last night and we wouldn't have been able to help you. He brought you and your mother here and brewed the potion you needed to save you life."

She sat up in her bed and took the cup of tea. "Thanks Dad. You seem to be awful comfortable with him."

Dan looked over at Harry. "We had a chance to talk and get to know him some while you recovered. I must say he knows his stuff. Lunch will be ready soon. Are you hungry?"

"I'm starved. It must be close to twenty-four hours since I ate last."

"Close enough Honey. Close enough. I'll tell your mother and bring up a tray for you and Harry."

"Why? I can eat at the table."

"No, Hermione. You're not recovered enough to get out of bed yet." Harry replied in a tone that brooked no non-sense.

"And just who are you to give orders?" she demanded.

"At the moment, I'm your healer. Later we have to see." He responded with a crooked grin.

She didn't know what it was about his grin, but it did things to her that she had never felt before.

"Sit."

"Yes, Mione."

"What did you call me?"

"Sorry, something from a pervious life." His grin slipped off his face.

"Tell me what you know about why I brought you here and where are you from? What can you do to help? Are you real?"

"Slow down Hermione. One question at a time. I only know what your parents were able to tell me, which isn't much. Where am I from? Not sure really. I need more information which only you can provide. Don't know and yes, I'm as real as you are. Now I need to know what your problem is, who you trust and who is still alive."

"Would you tell me a little about yourself Harry?"

"Like I told your mom and dad, there's not much to tell. I'm an orphan, grew up muggle, and learned I was a wizard at age eleven. Had to fight to stay alive all through school where I made some good friends and some not so good friends. Fell in love once. Killed an evil wizard and then wound up here."

"Who was she and is she still alive?"

"Later. Now tell me about you and what you think I can do to help."

"I don't know where to start."

"Why don't you start when you entered the wizardry world? That will give me an idea of what is what."

"Do you know Professor McGonagall?"

"I know 'a' Professor McGonagall, but that's beside the point until we establish if this is my world or a different one."

"What do you mean a different one? There is only one world."

"I had a friend that believed that there were untold number of universes that parallel ours. All slightly or completely different depending on how far apart there are."

"I hadn't considered that." She said as she bit her lower lip looking at the far wall. "That sounds like something Luna would believe in."

"Luna Lovegood? Strange girl that talks about unbelievable creatures? Ravenclaw?"

"You know her?"

"Again, I know 'a' Luna, not sure if it's the same. Now your first year."

"Bigotry almost drove me out before I even started."

"Who did you run into?"

"Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley."

"Ron Weasley is a bigot? Wow! Talk about different."

"You knew a Ronald Weasley?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "He was the first friend I ever had my age, and it turned out not to be the best friend in the end."

"What happened?"

"Later. Your problem first."

"Okay, but I will hold you to that."

"I have no doubt about that. Now continue."

They were interrupted when Emma brought in a tray with their lunch. "How's it going?"

"Slow, she keeps getting off subject."

"That doesn't sound like you Hermione."

"Oh but it does. She's more interested in learning about me than telling me what I need to know. She's too inquisitive." Harry let out a small laugh.

Emma just smiled.

"Okay. Okay." She hurmped. "When Professor McGonagall came to tell me I was a witch and gave me my letter inviting me to Hogwarts, she told us that there might be some problems with bigotry. We asked her how bad it might be and she said it depended on who it was. We asked her what would happen if I decided not to go to school. Her response was that the Ministry would bind my magic and obliviate us of our knowledge of magic. We then asked here if there were dangers from this. She said it depended on the individual. Those that were weak in magic it wouldn't bother at all. But those that were strong magically would suffer and eventually die from their magic fighting the binding."

"I asked if she could tell where I was in strength. Her test revealed that I was in the later category; that binding my magic would eventually lead to my death. Naturally I didn't want to die so I had little choice but to put up with the bigotry."

"Now to be honest, it wasn't as bad as it sounded. There are a lot of pure-bloods that preferred to live and let live. Then there are those like Malfoy and Ronald that took it to the extremes. We went at the earliest opportunity to Diagon Alley to get my supplies and I studied the spell books so that I could defend myself if need be. That turned out to be the best thing I did. Not a week in to term Ronald and Malfoy tried to intimidate me with their superior attitude and spells. Neither was up to the task. It was harder against upper class students so I spent a lot of time in the library." Harry smirked at this.

"I still had the same problems there that I had in Primary school. I had trouble making friends. Other children hung around me, but it was mostly for protection not friendship. Other than that the school year was quite. We were told to stay out of one of the corridors and there was rumor of a three headed dog, but I never saw it."

"That stupid old man."

"Who, Harry?"

"Dumbledore. He hid a highly dangerous artifact in a school full of children."

"What! What artifact?"

"Did you ever hear over an item called the Philosophers Stone?"

"No." she responded as she shook her head. "Should I have?"

"Not unless you were looking for it. Nicholas Flammel created what is known as the Philosophers Stone. It is what enabled him and his wife to live for almost seven hundred years. You can look it up to verify Flammel. The stone could, or so it was reported, turn any metal into gold or create the 'Elixir of Life'. Voldemort, the bad guy I killed, would sell his soul for it. My friends and I had to stop him from getting it our first year."

"Who was your defense teacher that year?"

"Professor Querril."

"Wore a turban, smelled of garlic all the time, and stuttered real bad?"

"That's him to a 'T'."

"What happened to him?"

"That's the mystery, he was found in his office at the end of term dead."

"Did Hagrid get a dragons egg?"

"There were rumors of that sort. Someone turned him in and he almost lost his job over it. They had a ministry executioner come in and kill it."

"Malfoy." Harry spit the name.

"I take it you don't like Malfoy either?"

"He's a bigot in both worlds. Thought he was better than everybody because of his name. Ranked some where around twentieth for the year. If it weren't for dark arts, he would never have survived school."

"Second year, what happened?"

"Something called the 'Chamber of Secrets' was opened. After the second student was petrified, Ginny Weasley jumped off the Astronomy tower. After that the there were no more petrifactions and the matter was dropped. No one knows what happened or why Ginny committed suicide."

"Was she found with a diary?"

"Yes. She was clutching it to her when she jumped. Why?"

"Do you know who has it now?"

"Dumbledore took it. What was it?"

"A dark artifact the holds a piece of a man's soul. It must be destroyed."

"Do you know how?"

"Unfortunately, yes and it means a trip down into the Chamber of Secrets with the sword of Gryffindor."

"That's just a myth isn't it?"

"No, it is very real. Both the Chamber and the sword. I killed a basilisk with it my second year."

"But that would have made you twelve or thirteen at the most, Harry." Interjected Dan, who had joined them quietly a while ago.

"I was twelve at the time. A girl's life was in eminent danger, the rest of the school soon would have been and the resurrection of a dark wizard was at stake. I did what I had to do. Someone called it my 'saving people thing'." Harry replied with a sheepish grin.

"How did the Weasleys take it? Ginny's death I mean."

"Not well. The twins were the most shook up. Ronald didn't seem to care and Percy went into depression for a long time. Do you know why Ginny killed herself?"

"I can guess." Harry responded as he slumped back in his chair. "As I said the diary was a dark object. The soul fragment was taking over Ginny. Apparently your Ginny was more mature than mine and tried to stop things before they got out of hand. The spirit had her open the Chamber which released a deadly snake called a basilisk. Only a prarselmouth can call it or control it. Riddle drove it mad to the point only he could command it. That's why I had to kill it."

"Who's Riddle?"

"It's Voldemort's real name. He was a half-blood and ashamed of his father who was a muggle. More on him later. What did they say about the incident?"

"Nothing really. They just said the situation was resolved."

"Okay we'll deal with that later. Third year?"

"Possibly the worst year for everybody. They had Dementors stationed around the school. Horrible things." She shuddered just thinking about them. "A man named Pettigrew escaped and they thought he was coming to the school to finish what his master didn't back in '81."

"What? Wait tell me the events of '81."

"According to Modern Wizard History books, He-who-must-not-be-named went to Godric's Hollow to kill the Potters. He mostly succeeded. Lily Potter survived, but the rest of her family was killed. She was in a coma for months as her magic fought what ever curse he hit her with. Two weeks later Neville Longbottom's family was attacked. Both of his parents died in the attack. Neville survived because he was with his Grandmother."

"At least this Neville is luckier than mine. Do you know what curse Lily was hit with?"

"LUCKY! What do you mean Lucky? How can you be so heartless? He lost both of his parents." She screamed.

"Hermione, before you call me heartless, let me ask you a question. Who would be better off, a boy who lost his parents and had closure or a boy whose parents lived, but were vegetables with no hope of ever reviving?" Harry got up from his chair and headed for the door. "Think about that for a moment Hermione." He said over his shoulder, and exited the room.

"Hermione, how could you tear into him like that not knowing all the facts? I've looked into that poor boys eye and I can tell you he has had more heartache that most men three times his age. He's fought a war and won, but it cost him more than he has told us. Maybe in time he will, but I can tell you now, it won't be easy for him. Don't judge him too harshly before you hear his side of the story." Emma got up to follow Harry.

Hermione looked at her father mouth a gape. "What have I done?" and promptly buried her face in her hands.

Dan sat on the edge of her bed and held her as she wept. "We all make mistakes sweetheart. Learn from them and take your mothers advice and don't judge him until you know his side if the story. I agree with your mother, he has lost a lot. He lost his parents and from what little he has said probably every one he loved at one time or another. Including the other you. And I think he loved her very much."

She looked at her father through teary eyes, "Really? Me the bookworm know it all."

"Yes the bookworm know-it-all. He brought her out of the shell that you have developed and got her to relax and enjoy things. He even taught her how to cook food that was edible."

"He can cook?"

"He makes a delicious omelet. Now put that brain of yours to work and think about what he said and how to make it up to him."

Emma found Harry in the back garden, hands in his pockets, head down but not moving. "Are you alright, Harry?" she asked softly as she approached.

"No. But I will be." He replied, lifting his head slightly with a heavy sigh. "I know I shouldn't have lit into her like that, but she doesn't know me and what she said hurt. More than it would have if it had been anyone else. And that's not her fault either. She's not my Hermione."

Emma stepped in front of Harry and hugged him hoping that she had not made a mistake. At first Harry stiffened in surprise and apprehension. He relaxed after a moment. "Dan and I agree with you Harry. She had no basis on which to make that judgment. I told her so before I came down here and I'm sure Dan is talking to her as well."

"After listening to her years at Hogwarts, it makes me wonder why I was in the thick of things."

"What do you mean Harry?"

"Let's see if your daughter has regained her senses and finish her school years. How many years has she attended?"

"She just finished her fourth a week ago." She said as they entered the house.

"Good. Depending on how this year went, we either have loads of time or we have just enough. Maybe."

"I don't like that 'maybe'."

"It all goes back to what I don't know here. Who to trust, who not to and what any of them know."

Dan was sitting in his chair when his wife and Harry returned to the room. "Everything alright, Harry?"

"Could be better and it could be worse." Harry sat in the same chair as before near Hermione. "Is it safe for me to sit here?" he asked with a small smile to take the sting out of the question.

"Yes Harry,' Hermione blushed, 'I apologize for my earlier out-burst. I had no right with out knowing you better.

"If you promise to keep that in mind the next time I say something that seems insensitive." She nodded in agreement. "Now on to last year. What happened that made you summon me?"

"I will assume you have heard of the Tri-wizard Tournament?" With a disgusted sigh and nod of his head, she continued. "It was held this year at school. Neville was the fourth Champion."

"NEVILLE!" Harry said in surprise. "Please tell me he had his own wand at the very least."

"What do you mean 'his own wand'? What other wand would he use?"

"Some old families and old pure-bloods believe that a child honors his heritage using your parents or grandparents wand. The Neville I knew used his father's until it was broke during a fight at the end of our fifth year. He had forced his magic for so long through a mismatched wand that when he got his match he was hard to beat. I am considered a powerful wizard and I would say Neville is my equal."

Hermione thought for a long time. "Neville does struggle a lot with his spells and it was really hard for him in the tournament."

"Did you sleep much before the first task?"

She blushed,"How did you guess?"

"First hand experience." He shrugged. "Before we move on, who were your defense teachers?"

"Is it important?"

"Maybe, but it's more to establish continuity than anything else."

"Let's see, we had Lockheart in our second year, Lupin in third and Moody last year. Same for you?"

"Yes, who teaches potions?"

"Professor Snape."

"Bugger."

"Language." Admonished Emma and Hermione together.

"Sorry." Then he got a mischievous grin on his face. "Snape hated me because I reminded him of my father and he hated my father. I wonder if he would have a heart attack if I showed up at school."

"Harry! That's positively evil. Even if he does deserve to be shocked a bit. Worse teacher ever."

"Hermione!" exclaimed Emma.

"It's true Mum. Writing instructions on the board and leaving you to figure out how to do it safely, is not teaching. I don't know how many students were hurt in accidents in that class.

"She's right you know. It's like handing secondary school chemistry set to a seven year old and hope he doesn't blow up the house."

"That doesn't even include his bias towards his own house. But we are getting off topic again. Hagrid, the old softy, managed to let Neville know the first task was against a dragon. We got lucky and grew the tamest of the four. Krum got the Horntail."

"Thank god. I couldn't imagine Nev going against that beast."

"Was it that bad, Harry?"

"Imagine if you can a lizard…wait a minute." He got up and went to his pack. He pulled out what looked like a miniature trunk and set it in the middle of the open space and tapped it with his wand. The Grangers watched in amazement as it expanded. He eventually pulled out a large flat bowl. "This is a pensive. It allows wizards to view memories."

He conjured a table and set the pensive on it. He then put his wand to his temple and removed a silver strand and placed it in the pensive. "This is my memory of the Horntail I faced." He then tapped several runes and an image appeared above the bowl. Harry then enlarged it to twice its size for better detail.

"That is what Krum faced, but not as well. For a world famous seeker, you would have thought he would have done the same. He tried to blind it and in the process most of the eggs were destroyed. AS dangerous as they are, I can see Hagrid's love for them. They are beautiful."

"Do you have a death wish, Harry?" Dan asked in wide eyed terror.

"No, but I had no choice. It was either compete or lose my magic. You have to remember that I had a mad man after me. If I lost my magic, I would be defenseless. I was three years behind the other competitors and flying was one thing I did better than anyone else."

"Even Krum?"

"Even Krum. We had an impromptu game between the second and third task and I beat him. It was close and reckless, but I beat him in the end. Afterward he told me he hoped I never went pro."

"So how did Nev beat his dragon?"

"We learned the disillusionment, silencio and a spell to remove orders to sneak by the dragon."

"Clever. Did it work?"

"Yes. He got his egg and was almost out of the arena before the dragon noticed his egg suspended in mid-air and moving away. But by then it was too late."

"Good girl. I'm proud of you." Harry beamed.

"I didn't do anything, Harry."

"Yes you did. You taught Nev the spells that saved his life. That is something to be proud of especially if Nev was as shy as the one I knew."

"I think that it is safe to say that everyone we know in common is the same. Professor Potter and Lord Black are probably the only ones different."

"Sirius Black, how do you know him?"

"He's a close friend of Lily Potter, one of my teachers. We are quite close even though teachers aren't supposed to by as friendly with their students as we are." Harry was a little misty eyed at the mention of Lily.

"And Black?"

"He visits Professor Potter on the weekends when he can get away from their businesses."

"How much do you trust them?"

"I would trust either with my life. Professor Potter helped me find and learn the ritual I used." Harry nodded and made a mental note to talk to both of them soon.

"The Yule Ball?"

"I went with Neville as his friend. I know a lot of people read things in to it that weren't there, but we are just friends. Actually he is quite taken with Luna."

"Huh. I never saw it, but then it took me six years to realize what I felt for the woman I feel in love with. The feeling was there, I just didn't know what it was. I take it you were his hostage in the lake."

"How did you know?"

"Except for me the champions dates for the Yule Ball wound up their hostage."

"Who was your hostage?" Emma asked curiously.

"Ron Weasley, A lot of students might have thought I was gay after that except Ron wasn't the only one I brought up from the bottom of the lake."

"Who else was there?" Hermione brow wrinkled in concentration.

"Fleur's little sister. I took the clue literally. My 'people saving thing'. Remember? Okay so how did he rescue you?"

"Actually, after we figured out the clue, it was the easiest to solve. He had a book on Mediterranean plant life and the answer was in it. Gillyweed."

"I should have known. Neville has an affinity for herbology. He has his own greenhouse at home." He explained to Dan and Emma.

"The third task was a maze wasn't it?"

"Yes. Neville had a surprising thirty second head start."

"Let me guess. The cup was a portkey to some where else. Did he go alone?"

"Yes, why?"

"Ced and I helped each other out of some tight spots in the maze. Saved each others life really. We wound up at the cup together and decided to share the victory. Big mistake. Ced didn't come back alive. Did Nev?"

"Yes. How I don't know. He was pretty beat up."

"Yeah, old Moldyshorts is not a lovable or forgiving kind of guy."

"How can you make fun of him?" asked Hermione. "Everyone fears to say his name."

"I noticed, but it's just a name. Fear the name, fear the thing. I have faced and beat the cretin Eight times and came out on top every time. Maybe not the healthiest, but alive to fight another day and finally defeated him for good. So it doesn't bother me to mock him or his goon squad of death munchers."

"How is Neville?"

"I honestly don't know. He was still in the hospital when I came home. They wouldn't let me in to see him."

"It's getting late and you need your rest. Tomorrow I would like to talk to Lord Black and Professor Potter."

A/N: Hope you like this. Harry meets Lily next.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Harry and company belong to JKR.

Chapter 3: Family?

With Hermione awake, Harry slept in the guest room. He slept well but was up early and took a shower. He was standing by his bed with just a towel around his waist when Emma knocked and opened the door. He heard her gasp and say 'sorry' before quickly closing the door. He had long took caution to cover his torso when he left the shower, why he hadn't today he couldn't say. He quickly put on a 'Tee' shirt and told her it was okay to come in.

"Sorry about that, Harry. I didn't expect you to be up. I was going to ask you to teach me how to make those delicious omelets of yours."

"It's alright Emma. It was my mistake. I normally never come out of the shower unless I'm covered."

"Where those from the war?"

"No, my childhood. And right now I would rather not talk about it. Maybe someday, but not today."

"Of course, now about those omelets?"

"Let me get dressed and I'll be right down. Have you checked on Hermione this morning?"

"She's anxious to get out of bed."

"I'll check in on her before I come down."

A couple of minutes later harry knocked on her door. "Are you decent?"

"Yes Harry, you can come in."

Harry entered, "How do you feel today?"

"I feel good and can't wait to get out of this bed."

"You make it sound like you've been in that bed for weeks not hours." He commented with a smile as he ran some diagnostic spells over her. "You check out fine, but then I'm not a healer. Do you trust Pomphrey and would she come if you asked?"

"Yes I trust her, but I don't know if she would come here. She is the school healer. I don't know if she would make a house call."

"Do you know of any others that might?"

"Well there's Sirius Blacks cousin Andromeda Tonks, she's a healer. She might come for a price."

"Get in touch with her and don't forget I want to talk with Lord Black and Professor Potter today if possible. Did you have much interaction with Professor Dumbledore?"

"No. I'm just a student, why would we have any reason to interact with the headmaster?"

"None, I was just wondering. I'll have to find out if he can be trusted another way."

"Why wouldn't he be trusted? He's...

"Don't Hermione. I know who he is and all his titles and awards. He is still human and as such he can make mistakes too."

"I take it your Headmaster made some?"

"Some? Try too many and most where I was concerned. He will have to earn my trust like everybody else."

"You don't trust easily do you?"

"No and with good reason. Now your mom wants me to teach her something this morning and I think it will be alright if you get up as long as you take it easy until Tonks gives you a clean bill of health."

"What excuse should I give her?"

"How about you strained your core at the end of the year and you don't feel right. That should be vague enough and not that far from the truth."

"Have you lied to healers often?"

"All the time." he smirked. "See you down stairs."

Ten minutes later found Hermione entering the kitchen to find Harry and her mother at the range as he instructed her on the ingredients' and how to tell when to flip the omelets. He was also taking care of the bacon. Her dad was by the toaster with a cup of tea. She leaned against the door jamb and watched as they joked with each other as they went about their task. If she didn't know better, she would have said the three of them had known each other all their lives.

"Morning Mum, Dad. Anything I can do to help?"

"Morning Hermione." "Morning Princess."

"Unless you have to stretch, you could set the table and pour two glasses of juice. Do you or Dan want juice too?"

"I think that would be nice, Harry. Thanks for asking."

"Okay four juices and do you still drink tea for breakfast or have you switched to coffee yet?"

"Coffee, I just started this past school year. How did you know?"

"I knew you from where I come from too. Get us both a cup."

"Yes sir." and gave him a salute causing everybody to laugh. "I sent an owl to Healer Tonks and Professor Potter. We should know something later today."

"What did you tell the Professor?"

"Only that I was successful and want her to meet who came."

"Good, good." He replied as he nodded.

It wasn't long before they were all seated at the table eating breakfast.

"Hmmm, mom these are delicious."

"Give the credit to Harry. He taught me how." Harry ducked his head.

"These are good Harry. Dad tells me you taught the other Hermione how to do this. Is it hard?"

"No, not really. You just can't let you mind drift and think about other things when you're cooking. Much like with potions, the attention is in the details."

"So Harry. Tell us a little more about you. You know all about us." Hermione prodded.

"I'm a trouble magnet. I don't look for it, but trouble always seems to find me. Where I come from I was famous for something I don't remember and always hated the recognition. It's hard to find true friends when everyone knows your name and believe you are something you are not. I was an average student because I was programmed that way. I'm powerful because I was born that way and learned that you can increase your strength by exercise. Not just your body but your magic too. If I had listened to my best friend sooner I might be better than I am."

"You said you were muggle raised. What did you mean by that?"

"My mum was a first gen witch; my dad was a pure-blood from an old family. When they died, I was eighteen months old. I was placed with my mother's sister. The family didn't like anything that didn't fit their view of what's normal."

"Was he a lord like Lord Black?"

"I think so, but I don't know. Their will was sealed and I didn't take the time to find out as I didn't intend to stay in England. I was about to leave Hogwarts when you summoned me."

"Why were you going to leave England?"

"While I was growing up under the Dursleys, the magical children grew up reading stories about the "Boy-Who-Lived". A whole series of books were written about his adventures. Fairy tales the lot of them."

"Who do you know that? How do you know they weren't the truth?"

"Because I'm the "Boy-Who-Lived" and I can guarantee you I didn't do any of the things they wrote about." He grinned. "Not before age eleven any way."

"What do you mean Harry?" Dan had his curiosity perked.

"Like I told all of you earlier, I grew up muggle; didn't know about magic until my eleventh birthday. How could I fight dragons and giant snakes and rescue damsels in distress when I didn't even know they existed. Except the damsels anyway."

"Did you rescue many damsels?" He asked.

"Three that I'm sure about. There may have been others, but those three stand out."

He sat back in his chair. Breakfast was over and they were just sipping coffee as they talked. "The first was my Hermione. I helped save her from a troll. The second was Ginny Weasley, I saved her from an evil wizard that was draining her life force and then from a basilisk. The third was Fleur's sister. Even though they would not have left her in the lake as the clue suggested, and because of the way I was raised, I took the clue literally. She was also part Veela and a large portion of their magic is fire based. Water depleted the magic so she was in danger just being under water. I didn't know that until years later."

"That's why Fleur didn't complete the task. Her magic wasn't as effective under water."

"That's right, but they are also witches and if they exercise that part more it would be just as effective as yours or mine."

"Fascinating. I wonder if Fleur knows that?"

"Bill will teach her."

"Bill who?"

"Bill Weasley."

"I doubt that. Remember these are not the same Weasleys you knew. For the most part they follow the pure-bloods. Beside that he lives in Romania."

"What a pity. They had a beautiful daughter. Seems my not existing in this world has good and bad points."

"How do you come to that conclusion?"

"My not being here kept you out of most of the dangers at school. With me you would have been right in the thick of it. I was sort of adopted by the Weasleys and Bill was here for the third task and met Fleur. I wonder if Dora and Moony will still get together. Ginny read all the Boy-who-lived books and hoped to marry me some day."

"Who's Dora and Moony?"

"Dora is Nymphadora Tonks. She's Andromeda's daughter. She hates her first name. I didn't like calling her Tonks, so we compromised on Dora. Moony you know as Remus Lupin. They had a son just before the final battle. Named me his godfather. He would have been the only reason I have fought your summons to stay. What do you know about Lupin?"

"He was one of the best and friendliest DADA teachers we've had. It got out at the end of the year that he was a werewolf and resigned instead of waiting to be fired."

"Did you figure it our before?"

"Yes, the clues were all there and Professor Snape had us do an essay on werewolves, but I don't think many others figured it out. It wouldn't surprise me if he was the one that let it out."

"You would probably be right."

"They let a werewolf teach?" exclaimed Dan.

"Why not? They are only dangerous one night a month and unless they want to infect someone else, they take precautions to make sure they don't. Otherwise they are just like you or me. Let me ask you something, Dan. Is there anytime you fear Emma?"

He looked at his wife afraid to answer that question.

"All women are or can be very scary five days out of every month. Should they be labeled dark creatures because of it? Were wolfs suffer from a disease that they were infected with. They didn't ask to be bitten, but are shunned because of it. Lupin is the only one that I am aware of that went to Hogwarts and I think that was so the headmaster had something to hold over him. He needed an in with the weres' to keep them from fighting with Moldyshorts. The only trouble was the rest of the world wouldn't offer them any thing in return."

"What would they have wanted?"

"A safe place to transform, wolfs bane potion and a chance to prove that they can be productive people."

"That doesn't sound like much." Emma commented.

"It's not, but anything they don't understand they fear, like muggle technology. If they are the same here, their muggle studies class is at least fifty years behind."

"More like a hundred," snorted Hermione.

"They are also strong believers in tradition and status quo. 'If it ain't broke, why fix it.' They believe that their society works so why change it. New ideas are discouraged. Anything they dislike they outlaw. The biggest problem is the fact that they live longer than you will by at least fifty years. The ruling classes were mostly born in the last century and want to keep it that way. That is the main reason they are so slow to change."

"It would take a revolution of epic proportions to change things. The problem with that is that most revolutions they have seen were in the past were lead by one dark lord or another so any revolutionary would be looked at as another dark lord out to rule the world instead of change it for the better."

"Doesn't sound like a world I want my daughter to grow up in." remarked Dan.

"Normally I would agree, but if the current dark lord is like the one I just defeated, we have a golden opportunity 'if' we play our cards right and have the right allies."

"What do you mean?" Hermione's curiosity was peaked now.

"Let's wait for Professor Potter and Lord Black. I need more information and don't want to get your hopes up just find out it is impossible at this time."

"What else can you tell me about Lord Black?"

"I know that he and Lord Potter were as thick as thieves in school, both were Gryfindore's, His was Lord Potter's beat man at his wedding. He's friendly towards me."

"He sounds like the Sirius I knew."

"Do you mind if I put up a simple alarm ward around the house? I would like a little warning if any one approaches the house."

"Now you sound like Professor Moody."

"Constant Vigilance." He barked.

"Yep, just like Professor Moody."

"Would it surprise you if I told you that probably wasn't the real Mad Eye Moody?"

"No. He disappeared right after the last task without explanation."

"If it makes you feel better it might not be a bad idea." Dan responded. "Will we all be able to hear it or just you and Hermione?"

"We'll all hear it. It will sound like a doorbell going off."

He went out side and aimed his wand at the ground and walked the perimeter of the property muttering an incantation as he went. After he was done he explained, "It will only let us know if a magical person comes on the property, even if they are in an animagus form."

"What's an animungus?" Emma queried.

"Witches and wizards that take the time and have the power can change into an animal. It is very good for hiding or getting around without being noticed. But why did you do that, Harry?"

"Where I'm from Pettigrew was a rat animungus. Sirius has the form of a grim."

"Really! I didn't know that."

"Well he may not be here or had no reason to tell you."

They went back in the house and made small talk about favorite books, movies, etc. About two in the afternoon, the ward was tripped and Harry went in to defense mode. Wand drawn and just out of sight until the identity of those approaching was confirmed. "Hermione, Constant Vigilance."

"Right." She held her wand behind her back as she answered the door.

"Hello Hermione, how are you?"

"Professor. What was the one thing I confided in you?"

The woman looked askance, but replied, "That it was unlikely you would find a wizard to like you for you."

Hermione nodded. "Lord Black, what did I tell you last week?"

"Moody got to you did he? You thought Neville had it too easy in the maze." She nodded again and opened the door and allowed them to enter the house.

"When did you become so paranoid?"

"Today, our guest was a student of Professor Moody's." she explained as she led them to the lounge. "Please be seated and I will introduce you to our special guest."

"Harry, it's okay. They are who the say they are."

Harry stepped around the corner into the lounge. "Professor Potter, Lord Black." He said as he nodded in recognition, a look of loss evident in his eyes.

"Harry, will you be okay?" Hermione asked in concern.

"I will be. Still a bit of a shock, ya know. Even knowing they were coming, seeing them in the flesh is going to take some getting used to."

"What's he talking about Hermione?"

"You might want to sit back down, Professor."

"In your home or away from school, please call me Lily."

"And call me Sirius. Now what's going on?"

"Do you remember me and Pro…? Lily researching a ritual to bring someone here to help us with our Dark Lord problem?" Sirius nodded. "This is that person, Harry James Potter." Lily gasped and covered here mouth looking closely at the young man before her.

"C-could it be?" She looked at Hermione. "Is it possible that he is…?" her voice trailed off.

"Yes, Mrs. Potter, it is and it is as much a shock to me as it is to the two of you."

"B-but how?"

Harry was having a hard time speaking so Hermione explained. Harry has a friend where he is from that believed that there are multiple universes parallel to each other, each slightly different yet the same. The further apart they are, the more significant the differences. It was something neither of us considered when we were researching."

"Then he's…"

"Who your son might have grown into. More than likely."

"No. I am not what her son would have become."

"Harry, how can you say that?"

"Hermione, I didn't grow up with a loving mother. I didn't grow up in the magical world as her son would have. I was sixteen before I found out I was in love with my best friend because I couldn't identify the feelings I had for her. Don't you see? Her son would have known what love was from an early age. He wouldn't have been blind to how I felt for the other you." He suddenly bolted from the room after saying something he hoped to keep hidden a while longer.

Hermione sat stunned at what Harry had just said. He loved her or rather the other her. Lily was just as surprised. Sirius was confused. "Lily what just happened?"

"I think Harry just revealed something he hadn't planed to and it opened a wound in his heart."

"I need to talk to him." Hermione started to get up.

"No, Hermione. At the moment you are the last person he will want to talk to. Let me see if I can calm him down. You can fill these two in on what we know for a fact."

Emma found him as she did the day before. "Harry, are you okay?"

He stood there shuffling his feet. "I don't know. I said something I shouldn't have, something I wasn't ready to reveal. How can I face Hermione now with what I just said? How do I deal with my own feelings if I can't separate the two?"

"How do you feel, Harry?"

"Confused, hurt. It's too soon. I just buried the girl I loved and now here I am facing a younger version of her, one that didn't know I existed until this morning. They are so much alike." He looked at Emma. "I want to hold her and kiss her, but she doesn't know me and I don't want to make her uncomfortable around me. I don't want her to think that she should love me just because the other Hermione did. I just don't know what to do about her? Then there's Lily Potter and Sirius. How do I deal with people that were dead to me? One I never knew and the other whose death I take the blame for."

Emma hugged him gently. "We'll figure it out and I will talk to her and explain things to her. As for the other two." She shrugged. "You'll have to take it one day at a time. Build a new relationship with them. Whether you acknowledge her as your mother or not will be something you will have to decide for yourself. Give yourself time, Harry. You said you learned how to love, maybe this is a chance to start over already knowing what that feeling is."

"I hope so. Thanks Emma." He leaned down and kissed her brow.

She blushed and took his elbow, "Come on. Let's see how much they have learned about you and find out what they know that will help you." Marching him back to the house.

As they entered the lounge they could hear Hermione, "… so from what we told him, our worlds are very similar. What he needs from you two is information that I don't have for obvious reasons."

Harry and Emma took their seats. "Sorry about that. Some wounds are still too fresh. I will assume Hermione told you everything."

"Maybe not everything, but enough to get started. You sound like you have had a very hard life Harry." Lily said looking at Harry's eyes. "You have my eyes."

Harry looked at the floor. "My mother's eyes. Mrs. Potter, this is going to be hard for all of us. Please don't try to make me into something I'm not. I want to take Emma's advice here and get to know you and Sirius for who you are, not who I perceive you to be. I think it would be best all around if we all did."

"Sage advice. What do you need to know?" asked Sirius.

"First off, who is your dark lord and what do you know about him?"

"He goes by Lord Voldemort and claims to be the heir of Slytherin. Pure blood supremist in the extreme. He has no problem exterminating an entire family if you disagree with him. His followers, called Death Eaters are all marked with a skull and snake. He was supposed to have died on Halloween back in '81. Neville Longbottom swears he saw him return at the end of the tournament."

"Anything else you need to know?"

He sighed heavily. "Mrs. Potter…"

"Lily, please."

Another heavy sigh. "Lily do you know why he came after your family?"

"We assumed it was because we wouldn't submit to him."

"Was your house under the fidelius charm?"

"It wasn't our house, but yes it was."

"Whose house was it? And why did you move?"

"Albus Dumbledore owned the house and cast the charm. He said he couldn't cast the spell on Potter manor because of the other wards."

"That manipulative son of a …"

"He lied to you Lily and James should have known that." Sirius interrupted.

"Not if he was confounded. Well it appears I can't trust this Dumbledore either."

"What do you mean Harry? Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of our time."

Harry got up and started to pace. "I take it he holds all three top spots in the wizarding world." Lily and Sirius nodded. "Lily, absolute power…"

"Corrupts absolutely." She finished. "Your not suggesting that he's another dark lord, are you?" Harry raked his right hand through his hair and rubbed his neck. Sirius looked at Lily and mouthed, _James._ To which she nodded.

"Maybe not dark but definitely grey. In all the time I knew the man in my world, everything he did was for the "Greater Good". But whose greater good? There were a lot of laws passed during his tenure as the head of the Wizengamot that he could have prevented. Laws against first generation witches and wizards, against were-wolves and other magical beings, laws that favored the pure-bloods." Harry waited until that soaked in. "He controlled almost every aspect of my life. The only thing he didn't control completely was who I chose to be my friends. He may have tried though."

"Just before I came here I was looking back at my life. I had been labeled with many titles, none of which I felt comfortable with. The only one I cared for was friend. The only one that fit at the time was loser, because that's what I felt like at the time. I had lost everything that had any meaning to me and I was ready to leave England for good for parts unknown."

"Tell me Lily, would it seem odd that a pure-blood family was on the muggle side of the barrier to the platform?"

"Extremely. Why would they be there when they can apparate directly on to the platform or floo?"

"See that's why I wonder if he tried to control who my friends were. I'm sure that if Hermione was as thorough as I believe she was, she told you that I didn't know I was a wizard until I turned eleven. One month before entering Hogwarts. Hagrid forgot to tell me how to get on the platform. If it wasn't for a family of pure-bloods who just happened to mention muggles out loud and the platform number, I probably would have missed the train."

"No self respecting pure-blood would be there in the first place let alone mention muggles where they could be heard. Why should Hagrid have told you about the platform and not the teacher they sent?"

"They didn't send a teacher. Everyone assumed I knew about magic so why send a teacher. Plus it was to set me up for my first mystery and challenge."

"I was eleven entering a new world and didn't know that. I was raised to never ask questions. The youngest boy became my first ever friend. Now I think it was a set-up. Dumbledore knew how I was raised and I wouldn't put it past him to arrange for Ron to be my friend. He was lazy. Studying was something he did only when necessary. Perfect companion for someone that was punished if he did better than his cousin wouldn't you say."

"I'm rambling. Back to what I need to know. Did ol' Moldyshorts make a habit of going after a family personally and by himself?"

"No. He always had at least a dozen others to take down wards and let them toy with the victims if they were any females in the family." Sirius replied with disgust.

"Then why did he come after the Potters alone? I believe he was alone or Lily wouldn't still be alive. One of them would have finished her."

Sirius and Lily looked at each other. "He's right." The color in Lily's face became ashen.

"Important part here Lily. Did he curse you first? Do you know what he hit you with and did you do anything else to protect your baby?"

"Yes he did, no I don't but it definitely wasn't the killing curse and yes. I found a spell in the Potter library. It would give a child unspecified protection against the killing curse if the parent sacrificed themselves in defense of the child. Why?"

"That is the major difference between are worlds right there. My mother was killed with the killing curse before he attacked me. She died, I didn't. I was left with a scar were it hit."

"Raise your fringe Harry."

"Why?"

"Let's just say to satisfy an old ladies curiosity."

"You are not old."

"Some times I feel absolutely ancient when I look at my first year students. Pleeease."

Harry lifted his fringe to expose what was left of the lightening bolt scar.

"The same ritual. How did he know? Why didn't he kill me like he did James?"

"I don't know Lily. Did you ever discuss this ritual with anyone?"

"No. Only James knew what I intended to do."

"Would he have talked to anyone?"

"No. Definitely not. It was family magic and he could only share it with family."

"Sirius, I know you are family, did he ever talk to you about this."

"Are you accusing me? James was closer to me than any of my family."

"No I am not accusing you, but we have to know who knew of the ritual so we can figure out if it was bad luck it didn't work or if someone told him not to kill Lily first. Or at least not with the killing curse.

"No, we never discussed it even though we were related I didn't want to know just in case I got caught."

"You were related to James?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. We were second cousins or something. My great aunt was James's Mother."

"And Harry's magical godfather." Finished Lily.

"There's a difference." Harry wanted to know.

"The old families like the Potters use a ritual to bind the godparents to the child. It's an extra layer of protection for the child."

Harry had a far away look. "That's why I felt so close to Sirius." He half whispered.

"What was that Harry?"

"Wha… Sorry wool gathering. It's not important.' He shook his head as if to clear it. Okay. Now then, you only talked to your husband. Sirius didn't want to know for security reasons and since it was family magic neither of you could talk to Remus or Peter. So it comes done to his not wanting to take a chance or suspected something if you didn't raise your wand. You didn't did you?"

"No. I pleaded with him to kill me and leave yo… my baby alone."

"I know lily, I know. Everyone that knew him said I looked just like him except for my eyes."

"It's getting late, what would you like for supper?" he asked.

"Harry you don't have to cook. I can do it."

"It's alright I need something to take my mind off things for a while."

"Surprise us then and is there anything I can do to help?"

"Chit chat."

"I can do that." Emma smiled in response.

"Should I be worried, Harry?"

"Of me? I'm just a kid. I'm sure her taste is for a more mature, knowledgeable and sophisticated person." He joked.

A/N: This looks like a good place to stop. More of this in the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Characters not mine only this plot.

Chapter 4: Family? Cont'd.

While Harry and Emma were in the kitchen Dan, Hermione, Lily and Sirius talked about what they had heard and observed.

"How old is Harry?" Sirius just had to ask.

"He says he's seventeen but he acts older." Replied Dan.

"When he lets it out he seems to have a wicked sense of humor. That comment about your wife's taste was very mature for a seventeen year old boy."

"Did you see his eyes?" Lily asked softly. And I don't mean their color this time. There is so much sorrow in there."

"Harry did sat that he had lost everything that he loved. I would imagine that would leave quite about of sorrow in ones soul. He fought a war against insurmountable odds and won, but it makes one wonder what he saw and what he had to do to achieve that victory. I couldn't imagine being in his shoes." Replied Dan.

"You've known Professor Dumbledore a long time Prof… Lily. Could he have done some of the things Harry said? He's the leader of … everything it seems."

Lily paused before she answered. "I'm not sure. Before Harry talked to us, I wouldn't have thought so. Now I'm not so sure. What about you Sirius?"

"A lot of things hadn't added up since the events of '81. No one took the time to put it all together because it was Dumbledore. How did we become so blinded?"

"Tell me about this Dumbledore. All I know about him so far is that he is Hermione's headmaster."

"First off, he is about one hundred and fifteen years old. He defeated the last dark lord in '45. Gellert Grindelwald was taking over Europe along with Hitler. That makes him a hero as British magicals were not having any success Containing him to the continent. Where muggle America had no problem helping, but their magical society had no desire to help people that looked down on them. People that may have even driven them there in the first place. I can't blame them. Personally I think our society sucks, but right now it's all we have.

'He was elected the position of headmaster in '47. In '49 he took on the position of Chief Warlock, a political leader. Only the Minister has more power, but he is a position to shape the laws that are passed. Then in 1950 he assumed the position of Supreme Mugwump of the ICW. He is a powerful political figure, he plays people… That bastard. He plays people like a chess master. He's played us all without us even being aware he was doing it."

"You're right Sirius," Harry called out from the kitchen.

"I thought you were cooking to get away from this for a bit?"

"Your voice carries easily."

"Well don't expect me to whisper because of you."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"I can understand people looking up to him because he killed this dark lord, but they damn near handed him the world on a platter."

"Not quite. He may be in positions of power, but there are others that he has to deal with. The ICW is made up of over one hundred nations. A lot of those nations recognize magical beings Briton refuses to. Then you have the Wizengamot which makes our laws and tries criminal cases. There are factions there as well. Some are very traditional and resist change. Others are more forward looking, but fewer in number. And then you have those that want to rule everything, muggle and magical alike."

"But that works in his favor,' Harry said leaning on the door jamb, 'he talks about equality and fair play but uses back room politics and the pure bloods to move his agenda forward, all the time thinking it was their idea. Got too many families that refuse, unleash another dark lord and eliminate them. His hands are clean."

"Dinners ready." He turned and walked out.

As they walked in to the dining room, which was large enough to seat ten comfortably, they each stopped to take a deep breathe, taking in the aromas. Dinner consisted of baked chicken, bell peppers stuffed with ground beef and rice, salad and mashed potatoes. Everyone marveled at the spread.

"Where did all this come from? Did you have run out to the market?"

"We had all the ingredients. Harry just looked to see what we had and improvised from there."

After everyone was served, Dan bit into his chicken. "Mmmm. Emma, please tell me you learned how to make this." His face looked like he was in heaven. All the others soon had the same expression.

"How come we didn't smell this as it cooked?"

"Don't you love magic? You were talking about some important points. I didn't want you drooling too bad before you had a chance to eat it." Harry smirked. He blushed and ducked his head at the looks on their faces. He knew it was good, but he never expected this kind of reaction.

"Who ever you marry will be one lucky woman, Harry." Lily commented as she ate her stuffed pepper. He looked at Hermione without lifting his head.

Once everybody was finished eating and complimented the chef, they retired to the living room for coffee, tea and more talks. Lily and Sirius sat on a love seat, the Grangers sat on a couch and Harry sat in one of two wing back chairs. Which coincidently faced the door.

"It's my understanding, Lily, that you spent months recovering from Moldyshorts curse. What happened then?"

"With my baby and James dead, I became the Head of House Potter, one of the few that allowed a woman as its head. Naturally, with out an heir or a husband, betrothal proposals and marriage contacts came out of the woodwork. Being head of the family and with Sirius's help, I was able to fend off all of the suitors."

"If you are the Head of House, why teach?"

"It was something I loved and had planned to do any way and to tell the truth I didn't want to deal with the pure-bloods any more than I had to. The Wizengamot is more than enough. Sirius takes care of the businesses."

"Has Dumbledore tried to influence you in any decisions?"

Lily was silent for a long time. "Yes." She replied with anguish and shame. "At the time they seemed so innocent and benign, but looking back, if you add them all together… What have we done?" She buried her face in her hands and wept.

"Who is the Minister for Magic?"

"Cornelius Fudge." Sirius replied, scorn dripping with the words.

"How close is Malfoy to him?"

"Too close for comfort. Fudge is forever going on about being at Malfoy manor for dinner."

"Bellatrix?"

"In Azkaban for life for murdering the Longbottoms."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume Madam Longbottom is a traditionalist."

"She doesn't believe in the pure-blood rhetoric if that's what you mean."

"NO, no, no. In my world, Bellatrix, her husband, brother-in-law and Barty Crouch Jr. tortured Frank and Alice into insanity. Madam Longbottom insisted that Neville use his father's wand in his honor. The wand fought him until it was broken in a battle. Even without a wand, he stayed by my side. His power showed through when he got a new wand. His confidence that had been boosted by working with me went threw the roof with his new wand. He even stood up to Voldemort before the end and lived." He finished with pride in his voice for his friend.

"Neville." the three said in awe.

"Neville was a lot like me in some ways. He was technically an orphan, but he had a loving but domineering Grandmother. He was shy and didn't display magic like most youngsters. It took a lot to piss him off, so he didn't have bouts of accidental magic. His family thought he might be a squib. Not a good moral booster. Add to that a wand that wasn't a match." Harry shrugged. "He was great in herbology though."

"Now then. Hermione has told me about her school years and for the most part they match mine except me not being here. Her first year, she had Querril for DADA and died mysteriously at the end of the year. She also told me about the troll and rumors of the three headed dog. What do you know about that Lily?"

"Not much. We never did figure out how a troll got in the school. We found it on the second floor instead of the dungeons as reported. Dumbledore said that Flammel asked him to protect something for him but not what. Several of the staff had been asked to help with its protection."

Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore and his secrets. He had the Philosophers stone in the castle as bait for Voldemort. Me and two of my friends went after it. From what Hermione told me, it turns out it wasn't necessary, but we didn't know that. We were given clues and hints to entice us to go after it. After having time to think about it, I think 'dumb as a door' wanted to test and see if your… my mothers protection still worked."

"Did it?" Lily asked.

"Yes. Querril was possessed by Voldy and tried to kill me. I killed him just by holding him with my bare hands. The first death by my hands." He looked at his hands as if he could see blood on them.

"Moving on. Second year and the petrifactions. Yours ended when Ginny Weasley killed her self. What do you know about that?"

"Dumbledore claimed he had no idea what was causing it. He said whatever it was, was caused by Miss Weasley, but since she died to stop herself, the matter should be closed and not to tell since it would ruin the family name."

"That is probably what Malfoy was after."

"You don't like the Malfoys do you?"

"No. There is a lot of bad blood between us. A long time ago, I was told, Malfoy took the Weasley title and seat, leaving them broke. The Weasleys didn't have the power or money to declare a blood feud so they just shot barbs at each other for generations. My world Ginny had a major crush on 'the boy-who–lived'. She continued to write in the diary your Ginny was found with. She wrote everything she thought she knew about me in that diary, including her hopes and dreams. Six students in all were petrified including my best friend, but not before she figured out what it was.

"Who is this boy-who-lived?"

"A myth really, but it was me. Because of what my mother did, I was the first and only person to survive the killing curse. I hated the title. Every time I heard it, it reminded me of what I lost. There were only three people that saw the real me. Any way the heir of Slytherin left one final message. He had taken Ginny down to the Chamber of Secrets and was going to leave her there to rot for all times. I finally found the note my best friend held in her hand and figured out where the chamber was. I, her brother Ron and Lockheart went down to the chamber since all the other teachers were busy getting get students ready to leave the castle. In their infinite wisdom, the Ministry had decided to close the school."

"Why didn't you try harder to find a teacher? Surely if they were getting the students ready to leave the castle, McGonagall would have been in the tower." Asked Lily heatedly.

"I tired that first year with the stone and was told to in not so few words 'mind my own business' by Minerva. Second year I was vilified because I'm a parselmouth.' He held up his hands. 'It was a byproduct of surviving the killing curse which I will explain later. It turned out Moaning Myrtle was the first victim fifty years ago. She happened to be in the bathroom when it was released the first time. Not sure if it was being in the wrong place at the wrong time or if it was intentional. But it was she that told me where the entrance was. Long story short, I wound up going into the chamber alone. Ginny was there having here life sucked out by a piece of Tom Riddle's soul. Tom is also known as Voldemort. Now that that name has been introduced, that is how I will refer to him. Tom looked to be sixteen and wanted to know how I survived his future self. He bragged, as psychos are want to do, how he had gone further than any other wizard on the road to immortality and a few other things. He than called forth the basilisk Salazar had left behind. Now not only did I have this shade to deal with but a sixty- five foot basilisk. I had help though, Fawkes brought me the sorting hat."

"What good is a hat?" Dan yelled.

"A lot of good if you are an heir of Godric Gryffindor. You see Godric hid his sword in there and any true Gryffindor can call it forth. While I was finding this out Fawkes was busy blinding the basilisk. If he hadn't I didn't stand a chance."

"Why not?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Anybody?" Harry looked at Lily and Sirius, "No? A basilisk can kill you if you look into its eyes. The **only **reason no one died is because they didn't look at it directly. Colin looked at it through his camera. Justin saw it through headless Nick. Others saw it due to a reflective surface like water or a mirror. So now I have a blind snake chasing me. It has a very good sense of smell by the way. I wound up back near Tom and Ginny with no where else to run. As the snake came down to eat me, I held the sword aloft and rammed into the soft inside of his mouth killing it. One villain down one to go." Lily noticed him absently rubbing a round scar on his right arm. "Only trouble is the snake got me too. One of his fangs broke off in my arm and I could feel the poison spreading. Ginny was dying. I could see a connection between her, Tom and the diary that Fawkes dropped next to me. With what I thought would be the last of my strength I stabbed the diary with the fang. The book bled black blood and Tom screamed an unholy scream and died."

"It's a horrible feeling dying,' he said absently, 'but it wasn't my time to die yet. Fawkes cried on the wound, healing tears." He sat back in his chair. "There have been days I cursed that bird for saving me that day."

He looked at Hermione. "Did your herbology class repot mandrakes that year?"

"No."

"Then how did they revive the students?"

"Since there were only two students we were able to purchase the mandrake potion needed." Answered Lily.

"But we started repotting them before the first student was attacked. Huh."

At that point the ward he set went off. He took his spot just out of sight and disillusioned himself. "Hermione."

She nodded and drew her wand, "Sirius that should be your cousin Andromeda Tonks. If you don't mind confirming it's her."

They say paranoia is contagious, but after what he had heard today, he was inclined to agree with a cautious stance. He didn't hide his wand the way Hermione did when she greeted him. His was right in the visitor's face.

"Sirius, what are you doing here, and is that any way to greet your cousin?" surprise and shock clearly etched on her face.

"Tell me the real reason I left the family?"

"You refused to take the mark. What's going on Sirius? I was called on to check on a young girl that lives here."

"Sorry Andi. I've learned a lot of things that have me shook up.' He replied as he led her into the living room. 'A lot of what I thought I knew turned out to be lies."

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, this is Andromeda Tonks, my cousin and a healer."

Harry stayed in the shadows as he cast a few detection charms.

Andromeda Tonks was again surprised to see Lily Potter sitting in the Granger living room.

"Lily?"

"Hi Andi." Andi just looked at her, her right eyebrow raised in question. "What? I can't visit a student and check up on a project she's working on?"

Andi gave her a look that clearly stated she did not believe her. "Miss Granger, you said you may have strained your core at the end of term and hadn't been feeling well."

"Yes I did."

"I think it would be best if you were lying down while I check you."

Hermione Got up to head for her bedroom, "Follow me."

Harry had moved behind Emma and whispered in her ear, "Go with them and ask her to give Hermione a complete check while she's at it." Emma jerked in surprise, but quickly schooled her features.

After they were upstairs, Harry removed the charm and placed his finger on his mouth for quiet. "Sirius, he asked softly, "who much do you trust her?"

"I would have no problems putting my life in her hands." He replied just as softly and without hesitation.

Harry just nodded.

Upstairs in Hermione's bedroom, Hermione laid on her bed as Healer Tonks checked her core.

"You have definitely strained your core Miss Grainger, but it wasn't at the end of term. I would say in the last day or two." She stood next to the bed, her hands clasped in front of her, her expression clearly saying she wanted and explanation.

"Healer Tonks, would you mind giving her a through check-up while you're at it?" Emma inquired.

Healer Tonks looked at her with suspicion. "There will be an additional charge."

"I'll cover the cost." Harry said from the doorway.

Healer Tonks spun, startled, wand in hand. She fired a stunner at the new comer. Harry raised a shield that instead of deflecting the spell, it absorbed it.

"H-how did you do that?" She was stunned. She had never seen a shield absorb a spell before.

"Trade secret. Now before things get out of hand, I'm not here to harm you or you wouldn't have known I was here before it was too late. Just do as you were asked and all will be explained. Mrs. Tonks."

"Are you sure Harry?" Hermione queried.

"Sirius said she can be trusted." He shrugged.

Healer Tonks had no idea what was going on, but apparently Sirius trusted this young man. She turned back to Hermione and started a thorough exam. "Well Miss Granger, I don't know what you've been up to, but you appear to be healing quite well. Your core needs another day or two to fully recover 'if' you don't use it. Your blood should be fully restored by morning. I would recommend, however, that you not strain yourself for a few more days. Otherwise you are in perfect health."

"Who brewed the blood restorative draught?"

"That would be Harry." Hermione replied with a smile.

Healer Tonks looked at him and quirked an eyebrow.

"Later. Shall we go down stairs and join the others?" Harry's wand was nowhere to be seen as he turned to leave the room.

By the time Healer Tonks, Hermione and her mother entered the living room, Harry had retaken his seat facing the door. Hermione and Emma returned to the couch and Andromeda took the remaining wing back chair.

"Sirius can fill you in on what you missed, which isn't much really. Lily, when you get back to the castle, could you look up basilisk in the library. It seems like I'm forgetting something about them and I really don't want to face that thing with a sword if there is another way."

"Sure. How do I get in touch with you?"

"I'm not sure. Are you in the habit of writing to Hermione?"

"More than I should." She blushed.

"Do you know the Marauder secret for hiding things?"

"Of course I do. I helped develop it. You are paranoid aren't you?"

"I've been betrayed too many times not to be. Okay then. We covered from the events of '81 through Hermione's first two year of school and then got side tracked with politics. Third year you had Dementors at the school. Why?"

"The ministry thought Peter was coming after me to finish off what his master didn't."

"Did he ever show up there?"

"Not that anybody was aware of."

"So the students were in the presence of the Dementors for nothing. Were any of them directly affected by them? Did they seem to focus on any one individual?"

"Not that I'm aware of." … "Poppy might know more about that."

"See if you can find out without drawing attention to yourself."

He looked at Hermione. "Did Remus teach any one the protronus charm?"

"No. I asked but he said it was a very difficult spell and probably beyond my capabilities."

"It is a difficult spell, but I could tech you and it is not beyond your abilities."

"Really!" She exclaimed with her eyes bright.

"Yes. I taught about twenty of my classmates how in my fifth year." He paused. "Shit!"

"Language!" Shouted Hermione, Emma and Lily.

"Sorry." He cringed. "If the parallels continue, you will have a toad as your defense teacher next year. And since I'm not here "technically" there won't be anybody to teach you. It will be a wasted year as far as defense goes."

"A toad?" Lily laughed.

"Deloris Umbridge."

"Ah, an accurate description." Said Sirius with a smirk.

"Before we get into that, let's cover fourth year and the tournament. Tell me what you know. Hermione told me who the Champions were and that Neville was also chosen. What else can you tell me?"

"Professor Moody checked the goblet and said there was a very strong confundus charm cast on it…"

"Did you help Hermione and Neville?"

"No. I couldn't help Neville, but I did help Hermione."

"Same thing in the end."

"True, but I didn't teach Neville directly so I was well within the rules."

"Whose rules?" Harry snorted. "Everybody else got help directly, why was Neville not allowed?"

"Are you sure Harry? That's a mighty big accusation."

"I can guarantee it. If Hagrid was sweet on Madam Maxine, he showed her the dragons to impress her. She would have told Fleur. Karakoff would have followed them as he trusted no body not to cheat."

"How do you know all this?" Sirius interjected.

"Because I was the fourth champion and Hagrid had me follow him under my invisibility cloak. Karakoff followed us. What always puzzled me is why they brought four dragons to begin with?"

"Are you sure?" Lily wanted to know.

"Yeah, Hagrid said they brought them all together and it would have taken a month to find and bring another and they only had three weeks between the drawing and the first task. After my name came out of the goblet, I made up my mind that if there was any way to do it, I wouldn't be any where near the school on Halloween."

"Why, Harry?" Hermione asked in concern.

"Too many bad things happen on Halloween either to me or near me. First year a troll almost killed a student. I helped stop it. Second the heir of Slytherin released the basilisk for the first time. My friends and I found the first victim. We always seemed to be the first on the scene for some reason. Third year, a mass murderer got in the school looking for me. Fourth year the Goblet spits out my name. Fifth year I'm introduced to a blood quill. Sixth year I watch as Katie is cursed by a necklace and not a damn thing I can do about it. Seventh year, my best male friend deserts me during a dangerous mission. See a pattern?"

"Back to your fourth year. What else?"

"Professor Moody was very good at teaching defense and didn't seem to like young Malfoy."

"Ferret boy."

"Yes he changed Malfoy into a ferret. He was going to hex Neville in the back." Sirius roared with laughter hearing Hermione tell the story.

"Sounds like Malfoy." Sirius and Harry said together.

"Did Moody teach you about the unforgivable?" She nodded. "Did he demonstrate the imperious?" She nodded again.

Lily and Andromeda gasped. "He didn't use it on the students did he?" Lily was horrified.

"Yes. He said you can't fight it if you don't know what it feels like."

"He's right." Responded Harry. "Was anybody able to fight it off?"

"Not at first, but by the third try, I could resist it. I couldn't shake it, but I could resist."

"That's more than most. I'm proud of you Hermione."

Her face glowed with pride.

"What is this curse?" Asked Dan.

"The Imperious Curse allows a witch or wizard to take control of another person and make them do whatever they want them to do."

"Anything?" He asked in alarm.

"Yes, Dan. Anything. And they will remember doing it too."

"That's preposterous. You are not going back to that world." He ranted.

"Yes she will. Remember what McGonagall told you when she first visited. Her power has increased since then. It's a death sentence for sure for her now." Dan was clearly upset. "Dan, not everybody can use that curse and it is not taught in school. Only evil people use it and not all of them are strong enough to impose their will on someone else. And you heard her, she can fight it."

"Now Hermione the key to shaking it is to listen to your inner voice. The one that tells you something is not right. Listen to it and you can shake the curse."

"How do you know Harry?" Lily asked softly.

"That's how I threw off Tom's." he said flatly.

"Son of a …" Sirius started. "What else have you been under?"

"Let's see. I survived the killing curse twice, though I doubt I'll survive a third time. He had the Imperious on me twice, the cruciatus three times. I really don't like that one."

"What is the cruciatus?" Emma inquired.

"It's a torture curse. You feel like every square centimeter of your body is being stuck with red hot needles." Explained Andromeda. "There's no cure and no relief. You have to let it run its course."

"Okay, we got off topic again. Neville got by the first task with some very serious spell work thanks to two brilliant women.' Hermione and Lily both blushed, 'Hermione said his own aptitude for herbology got him through the second task. Was there anything that happened that stands out?"

"No. Nothing I can think off."

"What about the other students? Who did the treat Nev after his name came out of the goblet?"

"Most couldn't believe it happened. Neville is not the type to stand out. Seventy percent of the students didn't even know who Neville was."

"Now that doesn't surprise me. Even in my world he didn't stand out until his fifth year."

"It's getting late. Can you come back tomorrow? Preferably early. I'll fix breakfast." He said with a smile.

"How early?" asked Sirius.

"Well, seeing as how it's Sunday, lets say nine?"

"NINE?" Sirius protested.

"Yes nine, you lazy dog." Harry joked.

Sirius looked shocked at the reference. "Fine."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Disclaimer; don't own the characters just the plot.

Chapter 6: My Hermione

At seven o'clock Sunday morning Emma was in her daughter's room. The bed was situated between two windows had a floral coverlet but no lace. The sun was barely up and with the room on the west side of the house, the room was softly lit. Emma, already dressed for the day in tan slacks and a white short sleeve blouse, sat on her daughter's right hand side. Hermione lay on her left side so she was facing her mother as she laid a hand on her shoulder and genteelly shook.

"_Hermione, wake up_."

"Mmmm, too early." She mumbled and covered her eyes with her right arm.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you."

"Mum, you know I'm not a morning person." She grumbled as she buried her face in her pillow.

"Hermione, it's about Harry."

With eyes half lidded, she dropped her arm and looked at her mother. "What about Harry?"

"What do you remember about what he told us about himself?"

"He lost everything and everybody he cared for. He had been in love and lost her too. Dad said something about loving the other me. Why?"

"Have you ever had a crush or a boyfriend?"

Hermione sat up, crossed her legs lotus style and frowned, "Mum, you know that if I had, I would have told you. There just isn't anybody at school that draws my attention. I have looked. I'm fifteen going on sixteen, and aside from Neville, no boy wants to talk to me unless it's for school work. And that is getting old." She dropped her head and looked at her hands as she clicked her thumb nails. "Boys around here are still intimidated by me. You know what it was like before."

"I was trying to find a reference for you, Honey. When Harry sees you, he sees his Hermione, only younger. You are almost identical to the girl he left behind; in looks, mannerisms and intelligence. He sees her in you and wants to hold you and kiss you, but he also knows that you don't know him. He's afraid he will say the wrong thing or touch you in a familiar way and you won't understand. I want you to be very careful around him and don't take offence if he touches you, but if you feel uncomfortable with the way he looks at you or touches you, be careful how you let him know that you are uncomfortable."

"You brought him here to help you and us. He still is trying to deal with his loss and his new situation.' Emma reached out to pat her forearm. "He's a remarkable young man that has seen more than his share of heartache. If he agrees to help you and Lily, be sure you are ready to follow through with it to the end. I just want you to be careful with him."

"I know Mum. I see the way he looks at me sometimes when he doesn't think I'm looking. The looks that say, 'I want you.' Looks that I had hoped to see from some young man for me. It would be so easy to get caught up in his eyes. I will be careful and I may need your help to not fall for him for the wrong reasons. Besides when he gets out and sees some of the other girls, I will probably be forgotten."

"Why do you say that, Darling?"

"Look at me Mum. I'm not pretty. I can't do anything with my hair. I'm not very well endowed. What would he see in me? If I look so much like his love, I wonder what he saw in her."

"Beauty isn't everything, Hermione. I looked and felt much like you when I was your age. You father fell for me for who I am, not what I look like, although he does say that I'm easy on the eyes."

"But you are pretty Mum."

"And you will be just like her one day." Dan said from the doorway. He had dressed for the day in a tee shirt and jeans. She had never really looked at her dad before, but after talking about boys, she looked at him for the first time as someone other than her dad. She had to admit that although he wasn't muscle bound, he did keep himself in shape. She had his eyes and her mom's hair. "Time to get dressed. The others will be here soon."

Emma got up from the bed and joined Dan at the door and walked down stairs together. Hermione thought about what her mom had said as she showered and dressed. Her mom didn't have large breast either, but they were larger than hers, but she was just fifteen going on sixteen and had a few more years of development yet. As she brushed her hair, she thought about what her mom's hair looked like now compared to her frizzy mess, how it seemed relaxed and wondered how many more years it would take for hers to look like that.

It was close to eight when she left her room and Harry was just leaving his room. His hair was damp as if he had just stepped out of the shower. "Morning, Harry. I figured you for a morning type."

"Forced habit before school; then it became a necessity after.' He said with an easy smile. 'Actually I've been up for two hours. Went for a run to clear my head and get my blood pumping. I didn't think anybody would appreciate smelling my sweaty body, so I took a shower."

They looked each other over. He wore a black v-neck tee shirt and black slacks. She wore a sleeveless blouse and tan casual slacks. "How do you feel this morning, Hermione?"

"Much better, thank you. And yourself?"

"Better, now that I have a better idea of what's going on." They had descended the stairs side by side. When they entered the kitchen Dan and Emma had already started breakfast. Harry went over to see if he could assist and Hermione started to get out plates and cutlery to set the table. "How many are we expecting for breakfast this morning?"

"Better figure on seven. I would imagine after last night Andromeda will return this morning to find out more of what's going on and maybe check up on you again." Harry replied setting a cup of coffee on the table for her.

"Why would she do that?"

"She's a healer; it's in their nature to check on their patients." Harry sat at the table trying hard not to look at her.

"Harry, it's alright to look. I know I'm not her, but you can't avoid my being here. Do you want to talk about it? What was she like?"

Harry sat back in his chair staring at his cup.

"Hermione!" her mother scolded.

"No. It's alright Emma. It might be better all the way around if I did talk about it." He closed his eyes as he gathered his thoughts. "I met the other you on the train. It was brief and not sure if I liked you at first. She had a bossy, 'I know everything attitude'. She may not have realized it, but it wasn't the best of introductions. I tried to avoid her at first, but I was drawn to her any way.' He looked at them with pleading eyes. 'You have to understand that growing up I was not encouraged to do well in school, just the opposite in fact. My cousin was not the brightest person you will ever meet and if I did better than him in school… well let's just say it was healthier for me not to."

"Halloween that year was when we became friends. You remember the troll your first year?" She nodded. "It was real. My other friend had a bad habit of speaking with out thinking and offended her. She was ready to go home. She spent the afternoon in the bathroom crying her eyes out. When Querril came in and announced that the troll was in the castle, I went looking for her. Ron came along reluctantly. Together we saved her life as the troll had found her in that bathroom."

"It wasn't an easy friendship, but I truly believe that without it I would not have survived my first year. There really was a three headed dog in the third floor corridor. It was the first of many traps or guards for something that should not have been in the school in the first place. But for us, it was a challenge. We had clues and curiosity that wouldn't quit. Hermione's love of books and logic was a big advantage. I just wish I had been a better friend early on."

"What do you mean, Harry?" inquired Dan.

"I never had friends growing up and met Ron on the train. He became the first friend I ever had my age and had two months to establish that bond with him before the troll incident. He and Hermione had epic arguments over what she believed in and unfortunately, I either took his side or stayed out of it. Even if I agreed with her. Not much of a friend. Her ideals, although right in the muggle world, didn't always fit in the wizard world."

"Give us an example."

"House elves…"

"House elves?" interrupted Emma.

"Magical creatures that serve wizard households. They are bound to the household until they either die or are released from service, often, in their minds, in disgrace. Hermione wanted to set them all free. …"

"As they should be." Hermione said heatedly.

"No. They shouldn't. You see that was her mistake too. House elves need the bond to survive. Without the bond to a wizard or their household, they will die. Even though they have their own form of magic, they need the magic of the bond to live. The biggest problem with the bond is that wizards don't consider the advantage they have having an elf in their service. A well treated elf will defend the family onto death and they can be very scary and deadly. I know. I emotionally bonded with an elf and he died protecting me and my friends." He sniffed remembering his little friend.

"Anyway, the Hermione I knew slowly came out of the shell she had built around herself. She never gave up on books, which was one of the things I learned to love about her. Her knowledge saved my ass and hers more than once. She helped me study, to learn spells that I couldn't have on my own. That was the difference between me and Ron. I did the work and had her check it for errors where as Ron wanted her to do it for him or let him copy her work. Usually the night before it was due."

"My second year is when I should have realized how much she meant to me. But my childhood could be the blame for that too. She risked her life finding out what was petrifying the students and was petrified herself. I was without her for six weeks. Six weeks in which I learned how much I depended on her. Six weeks in which I learned how to take notes which I did for her so she wouldn't be so far behind. Six weeks where I read to her even though I was told she couldn't hear me. Near the end of that time, I finally found out what she had. That the monster of Slytherin was a giant snake. It just happened to be the same day Ginny was taken down to the chamber for the last time."

The alarm ward went off. Harry seemed to space out, then there was a knock at the door. "It would appear our other guests are here."

Dan went to answer the door. "Come in. Breakfast is already on the table in the dinning room."

Lily wore a summer dress that came to just above her knees. It had a floral print. Andromeda wore a Grey button up blouse with sleeves that stopped just above the elbow and a loose black skirt that fell below her knees. Sirius wore a tan shirt, black slacks and a sport jacket.

"You dress muggle pretty good Sirius," remarked Harry.

"I have an expert to help." Sirius looked at Lily.

Harry looked at him suspiciously wondering, not for the first time, if there was more than friendship between him and Lily. Then he shook his head. It was none of his business. This was not his mother.

Apparently Sirius saw his look. "No, Harry…"

Harry held up his hands. "It's none of my business, Sirius. She's not my mother. What you two do or don't do is none of my business."

Dan and Emma sat at either end of the table. Hermione sat next to her mother. Sirius sat next to her and Lily sat next to him. Andromeda sat near Dan and Harry sat in the middle of the table across from Sirius.

Lily looked at him from across the table and could see the pain in his eyes. "What's the matter Harry?"

"Hermione wanted to know about the Hermione I knew. We were talking about it when you arrived. I- I never knew my mother." He said looking at his plate. "Let's eat and then we'll talk."

Talk was stifled with the tension in the air. Emotions were evident between some of those at the table.

"This is good. Did you cook this Harry?" Lily asked breaking the silence.

"No. Dan and Emma cooked this morning."

"It's Harry's recipe though." Emma explained.

"I'd like the get it if you don't mind."

"There's nothing to it really. It's a matter of balancing the spices and ingredients. Flipping and folding at the right time…"

"They key is in the details." finished Hermione.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, just like in potions." The tension seemed to break with that little banter and they finished eating feeling more relaxed. When dishes were done, "It's a nice day out, why don't we sit out back?"

The patio, while roofed, was open and the view of Emma's garden was relaxing. The table was round and big enough to seat eight. Harry sat between Andromeda and Emma. Dan sat on Emma's right, Hermione sat next to him and then Sirius. Lily sat next to Sirius. Leaving one extra chair.

"Well, what shall we talk about? Shall we finish what we were talking about last night?" Harry suggested.

"If you don't mind, Harry, I would like you to finish talking about your Hermione." Hermione asked shyly.

Harry looked at Lily uncomfortably. Then at the hopeful look of Hermione. "Okay." He sighed. "But let me get my pensive. It might help explain some things." He returned a short while later with his pensive that he set in the middle of the round patio table.

"That looks familiar," remarked Lily.

"It should. I got this from the family vault when I cleaned it out." She gasped and looked shocked. "Different universe, Lily."

"Right, I forgot for a second. So you have a duplicate of everything that's in the family vault?"

"More than likely. Now just as you arrived, we were talking about my second year and what Hermione meant to me. She had been the last victim of the snake that was petrifying people. It was at that time that I first realized how much I depended on her and her intelligence, her friendship.' She is the one that figured out what was roaming the castle causing the students to be petrified but not why."

"Our Ginny had been taken down into the chamber and according to the message left, she would remain there forever. Moaning Myrtle was the final clue as to where the entrance was. Her brother Ron, Lockheart and I went down to try to rescue her. Lockheart was a fraud. His fame came from frequent use of memory charms. He tried to do the same to us and leave us down there as well, but Ron's wand had been damaged early in the year and the spell hit him instead. The back lash caused a cave in and I was on one side, Ron and Lockheart on the other." He pulled a memory and placed it in the pensive. "This is what happened after that." As the memory played out, Hermione, Lily, Sirius and Andromeda paid close attention as young Tom Riddle revealed that he was indeed Voldemort. They watched in horror as he called forth the Basilisk. Harry's desperate attempts to keep from getting killed as the snake chased him around the chamber. They watched as Fawkes gave him the hat and then blinded the snake to give Harry a chance to survive. They saw Harry draw the sword out of the hat and drive it into the roof of its mouth. Then they watched as Harry pulled the fang out of his arm. Lily noticed him rub his arm absently again. They saw the shade of Riddle die after driving the fang into the diary and Ginny slowly recover. They watched as he told Ginny to leave as he lay there dying, all of them had silent tears. Then they all watched in fascination as Fawkes cried the healing tears of the phoenix. The memory ended as Fawkes lifted them out of the chamber. "Like I said last night, dying is not a pleasant feeling."

"How close, Harry?" Andi asked.

"Too close for comfort, another ten seconds and I don't think I would have made it."

"That was one ruddy big snake, Harry." Exclaimed Sirius. "And you were what twelve?"

"Yeah."

"What did you do with the carcass?"

"What do you mean? I left it down there."

"Harry, that thing is worth a fortune in ingredients. The Goblins would pay a small fortune just for the meat."

"I didn't know that. No one ever told me."

"It was yours by right of conquest. I bet if Snape knew it was down there he would have found a way to get it. The potion ingredients alone are worth a small fortune beside what he could make with them."

"You have to be a parselmouth. Speaking of Snape, what is your relation with him, Lily?"

"We speak, but we are not friendly. I don't like the way he treats his students." Lily responded morosely.

"Never got over him calling you a mud-blood?"

"How did you know that?" she asked in surprise.

"When he died, he left me his memories. He showed me when you grew up together before Hogwarts. He showed me what caused the rift between you two. He never gave you the benefit of the doubt with the attention James paid to you. He didn't think he had a chance and let his house influence him. It was after that he turned dark. But he never let his feelings for you go. Do you know what his Protronus is?"

"No. I've never seen it."

"It's a doe if he's the same man."

"That's what mine is."

"I figured as much. Did you know that your protronus is affected by your feelings?"

"No. I never gave it any thought before. James was a stag."

"Yes, as was his animagus form. Because you loved him it influenced what your Protronus form would take."

"That makes sense, but why Snape's?"

"He never stopped caring for you. If he is the same here, he still carries a torch for you."

"I don't want to talk about it. Too much has happened to go back to what was once."

"Fair enough. After the events in the chamber, I spent two days in my most hated place in the castle. The infirmary. I was too frequent a visitor in that place. Some of my fellow students joked about putting my name on a plaque above the bed I used too often. The day after I got out, the mandrake potion was ready and I got my best friend back and I got my first hug."

"Summer holidays were not my favorite time of year, but when we got to King's Cross I got my second hug and it came from my best and only female friend." Harry quickly looked at Hermione. "Summer for me meant chores and near starvation. Food packages and letters from friends helped me survive that summer."

"Why weren't you with Sirius?" He ignored the question.

"That summer also marked a big difference between our worlds. In mine Sirius was considered a mass murder and had escaped from Azkaban."

"No one can escape from there." Sirius exclaimed. "And what the hell was I doing there?"

"They can if they are an animungus. The can also keep their sanity. I'll answer your question in good time."

Sirius frowned as he thought about it for a few seconds. "How?"

"According to my Sirius, Azkaban is a cold place with no heat even in winter and Dementors thrive off feelings. Dogs don't have the same feelings as humans, do they?" he looked at Sirius with a smile.

Sirius eyes lit up. "No, they don't." A grin split his face.

"They also have a nice warm coat of fur too, don't they?"

Dan looked between them, both smiling like mad men. "What is so amusing?" Sirius stood up from his chair and bent at the waist. Before their eyes he changed into his grim form.

"What the hell?" Dan jumped from his chair knocking it over.

"Sirius is one of those that are able to change into an animal when he wants to. Seriously difficult magic." Lily explained.

"Can you?" Emma asked.

"No. I never took the time it takes to try. Like I said it is very difficult and things can go very wrong if you don't know what you are doing."

"Where's Remus?" Harry suddenly asked.

"We don't know. After his teaching was suddenly terminated, he left."

"Why?"

Sirius had changed back. "He blames me for James's death. If I hadn't talked them into changing secret keepers he and our Harry might still be alive."

"Did you know Peter was a death eater at the time?"

"No. Of course not."

"Sirius, it was a good idea and logical at the time. You thought he was your friend. Someone you could trust. Circumstances at the time lead you to believe something that wasn't true. It wasn't your fault he was weak and chose the wrong side." Harry explained vehemently.

"How do you know, Harry? You weren't here." He asked heatedly.

"No, I wasn't,' he sighed, 'but I would be willing to bet the circumstances are the same. You had a leak in the order. Remus was spending a lot of time with the were-wolves. So he was out of touch most of the time. He was suspected of being the leak. Voldemort was winning. You,' Harry pointed at Sirius, 'were James's best friend and logical secret keeper. Peter was weak, everybody knew it. Who would suspect him of such an important task?"

"How close am I?"

Sirius looked at him. "Too damn close for comfort."

"Really? With everything I have already told you. The only difference is me being alive and Lily not. Like I said, our worlds are not that far apart."

"Moving on. In my third year, the ministry, as here, in their infinite wisdom posted Dementors at the school. For some reason they were attracted to me more than any one else. I had three close calls with them. Once on the train when one entered our compartment, once during a Quidditch match and at the end of the year when I found out the truth of what happened to my parents. Sirius had caught Peter and took him to the shrieking shack. I was ready to kill Sirius for betraying my parents. Then Remus showed up. He was ready to kill him too. Then he could smell Peter. Together you forced Wormtail to change back to his human form. He spent twelve years living as a rat. He eventually confessed to everything Sirius had been accused of. Snape interfered and things went pear shaped rather quickly. Hermione had a time turner and allowed us to go back in time and save myself and Sirius from being kissed. She always claimed I was a powerful wizard. I never believed her. My Protronus drove off about a hundred Dementors that night."

"A hundred. That is amazing. Most can only hold off a couple at a time let alone drive them off."

Harry just shrugged. "I didn't know that at the time. That seemed to be the story of my life. If I didn't know it couldn't be done, I did it anyway. But the point is, if she didn't have the time turner it wouldn't have happened. We would have died that night. She saved me, my Sirius and Buckbeak."

"The hippogriff?"

"Yeah. I even got her to ride with me on him."

"How? I'm afraid of heights."

"It was either that or stay on the ground with a were-wolf. I have to admit I liked the way she hugged me while we flew." He said with a warm smile.

"She was probably hanging on for dear life." Hermione shuddered.

"True, she didn't like to fly, but it was nice all the same."

"You dog you." Smirked Sirius.

"No, that's you." Harry quipped back. Everybody laughed.

"So what happened with Sirius?"

"Saved him twice that night. We knew that a Protronus had already saved us that night; we just didn't know it was mine. I thought it was my dad some how. With us in our weakened state, Snape took us to the castle. Hermione, Ron and I were taken to the hospital wing and Sirius was locked in the tower five floors up. Fudge showed up with a dementor. We told him what we found out about Wormtail, but he wouldn't believe us. Snape convinced him we were confounded. He was gong to have him kissed on the spot. That was the reason we flew Buckbeak, to reach the window. Once out we landed on the astronomy tower and allowed him to leave on Buckbeak. That ended my hopes of living with him until I could find a way to prove his innocence. Never did while he was alive."

"Fourth year…"

"What about your summer holiday?"

"What holiday? Sirius served his time in Azkaban, I served mine in Durzkaban."

"Harry, please tell me you didn't."

"Yes, Lily. I lived with your loving sister and her husband."

"Oh god. Why?"

"Two words, Dumbledore and blood-wards."

"I don't understand?"

"The night after my parents died, Dumbledore placed my with my only blood relatives. He told me there were wards in place there based on my mothers sacrifice for me and could only exist with a blood relative. He didn't bother to look at the family tree."

"What good would that have done?" inquired Andromeda.

"May I call you Andi?" She nodded. "I have Black blood."

"How could you blood be black, Harry?" asked Emma.

"Black family blood?"

"Yep!" he popped the p. "I could have lived with any member of the Black family."

"Then why didn't you?"

"For one I didn't know. I was raised muggle. Had no idea of magic or family until I was eleven. No one explained who or what my family was until I looked. Hermione told me some after she looked up what she could at school..."

"I still don't understand." Said Lily.

"James's mother was my great aunt." was Sirius's simple answer.

"And the other?" inquired Andi.

"Lucius Malfoy. With you disowned, he would have had a better claim to raise me. Double jeopardy there."

"How do you figure that? At least you would have known about our world."

"Two reasons jump to mind. One he believed in blood supremacy and dark arts. Two, I killed his boss."

"Every year I hope for a normal year. I had hoped when they announced the tournament that this would be the year. The tournament was set up for seventeen and older and I was only fourteen. I would get to sit back and enjoy the show. I should have known better."

"Tell me you didn't." begged Lily.

"Okay, I won't. Fifth year…"

"Haaarrryyy."

"What? You asked me not to."

"Cheeky."

"I guess I should explain something here. When I was first introduced to magic, I didn't know I was famous. I was called 'the Boy-who-lived'. Magical kids grew up on that stuff. Books were written about my exploits. Shit grown wizards couldn't have done things that was credited to me all before I was eleven and I had no idea of any of it. I was looked at as a hero. The first thing people looked at was my scar then my face. It made me sick. I hated that name."

"Why? I mean you could write your own ticket with something like that." Remarked Sirius.

"Because ever time I heard it, it reminded me of what I lost to gain that title. My parents."…"Then there was the Dursleys. They tried very hard to drive it home every day that I was worthless, unlovable and a freak. This just added to that. I was different. It made having true friends near impossible. Only three people ever saw past the legend and the fame. Hermione, Sirius and Remus."

"How did Hermione see past it all?" Emma asked.

"First of all, she was a muggle-born witch. She didn't grow up reading about me. All she knew is what the history books said. Second she was my friend. She saw me for what I was everyday. She saw a little boy that didn't care about fame or fortune because I grew up without it. It was suddenly just there. Me and Hermione were more alike than I knew at the time. We both grew up without friends."

"During the past three years I was either the hero and savior of the world or the next dark lord when they found out I was a parselmouth. Loved one minute, hated the next."

"Anyway when my name came out of the goblet, I found out who my true friends were. Ron accused me of cheating as did half the school. The other half just thought I wanted more fame and take the lime light away from Cedric. Why? Eternal glory. Who has that? I asked some of those who thought I was after more fame to name the last tournament winner. They couldn't without looking it up. 1000 galleons in prize money. I had more than that in my trust vault. No there was no reason to enter the tournament. Hermione stood by me without hesitation, without question. She helped me find and learn the spells that helped me survive the thing. My biggest regret of the year was not asking her to the ball." Harry drew another memory from his mind. "This was Hermione at the ball."

The image was of Hermione coming down the stairs in her periwinkle dress. "She's beautiful." remarked Dan.

"Isn't she though?" Harry said dreamily lost in the memory.

"How did you get past the first task?" Andi asked bringing him back to the present.

"Sorry. Summoning charm."

"There were charms against that on the egg." Lily said.

"I know. When Hagrid had me follow him to see the dragons, Hermione helped me learn it so I could summon my broom."

"Why your broom? Where you that good at flying?"

"Team seeker since first year. Only match I lost was due to dementors. I told Cedric so that he wasn't the only one unaware of what we faced."

"Why?' Sirius asked in surprise. "You gave up an advantage."

"I believe in fair play when it's not my life on the line. Everyone else knew; why shouldn't he? I wasn't out to win the damn thing, just survive."

"Hermione and I spent every spare minute until the task practicing that spell. If it didn't work I was screwed." He withdrew another memory. "This is the task." He bottled the other memory and handed it to Hermione. They watched in amazement as he dipped and bobbed and dove in and out of the Horntails reach until he got the egg. They winched when the dragon's tail clipped his shoulder at the end.

"Are you crazy?" "That was some amazing flying." Sirius and Lily screamed together.

"No. and thanks."

"Cedric gave me a clue to solve the egg in return for telling him about the dragon. I went to the prefect's bath to hear it after he gave me the password. Have you ever seen a ghost blush? It's something to see."

"Why would a ghost blush and which one?" Sirius was curious.

"Myrtle visited me while I was in the bath. If there was no other reason to be a prefect, the bath alone is it.' He said to Hermione. 'I was starkers and she helped me by telling me Cedric put his head under the water to listen to it. She looked. She also told me he wore swimming trunks. It's rather funny watching a ghost blush."

"I never figured out how they determined hostages for that task. I could see Fleur's, it was her sister. Cedric's was Cho his date for the ball and girlfriend. Krum's was Hermione and the only association he had with her was she was his date for the ball. Mine was Ron Weasley; we were barely friends after my name came out of the goblet. Sure he apologized after I had faced the dragon, but Hermione had been by my side the whole time. It wouldn't have surprised me if people thought I was gay after that. It was during this year that I learned to hate the Prophet."

"Why? I mean I know they don't always print the truth but why?"

"Rita Skeeter put Hermione through hell with her articles. Between supposed love triangles and love potions, she got hate mail by the hundreds. One even had undiluted buttertube puss in it. It got all over her hands and face. She was lucky it didn't get in her eyes. I don't really care what happened to me, but I don't like seeing my friends hurt for any reason."

"I came in last and past the time limit even though I was there first, because I took the clue literally. I rescued Ron and Fleur's sister. Stupid noble streak damn near got me killed because the Gillyweed wore off before I reached the surface. Nearly drowned trying to get two other people to the surface. Hermione called it my people saving thing."

The all snorted a laugh at that.

"I wound up in first place anyway because of my noble act of refusing to leave her down there which gave me a head start in the third task. There was the reason I was in this in the first place. Voldemort wanted me to win at all cost. He wanted me. He wanted my blood. He wanted to negate the protection my mothers sacrifice gave me. It was a death sentence for him to touch me. I won't take you through the maze itself as I really didn't run in to much. Someone was clearing my path. I did help Ced a few times. Krum was under the imperious to stop any one else from winning. He had Ced under the cruciatus when I found them. I stunned him and sent up sparks for his retrieval. The last obstacle was an arcomantula about the size of a small house. It almost got Ced, but I warned him and he got out of the way. Then the damn thing came after me. I got one of its legs before he got me. Stunned him right between the eyes after that and it dropped me injury my leg. Ced and I finished it off. Cedric thought I should take the cup because without my help, he wouldn't have made it to the end. Stupid nobility strikes again. I suggested we take it together, a Hogwarts win either way." He withdrew another memory. "This will explain my stupidity."

They grabbed the cup together and landed in the graveyard. "Wand out Ced. I don't think this is part of it." Cedric looked around, uncertain. "Kill the spare." Green light flooded the area, when he was able to look, Cedric was dead. His scar flared in unbearable pain and then blackness. Pain was all he was aware of when he regained consciousness. He was bound to a head stone that resembled an angel. He watched as Wormtail moved a large cauldron in place and lit the fire. The pain in his scar was still there. Wormtail put a baby like creature in the cauldron. "Bone of the father un-knowingly taken, you will resurrect your son." He watched as bones came from the grave and landed in the cauldron. "Flesh of the servant willingly given, you will resurrect your master." He watched as Wormtail cut off his right hand and let it drop in the cauldron. He approached Harry with the knife and cut his left arm. "Blood of the enemy forcefully taken, you will resurrect your foe." The potion or what ever was in the cauldron turned blood red and boiled. 'Please let what ever is in there drown.' He prayed. He watched as his enemy was reborn and called his followers. Listened to him name them and brag of his immortality. Then he turned to Harry and put his finger on his scar proving he could touch Harry now without hurting himself, but oh the pain it caused Harry.

They all watched as Harry suffered under the cruciatus three times. They watched in fascination as he threw off the imperious curse. Then they watched them duel. Eyes bulged as the cage of golden light that encircled them. They watched as Harry made Voldemort's wand submit to his; as they ghost of people he killed came out of his wand and Harry's miraculous escape with Cedric's body.

"That is why I wonder how Neville survived."

"What was that cage?" Sirius wondered.

"Our wands have the same core. Tail feathers from the same phoenix. Brother wands. They won't let the other do harm to its master. At least that's what I'm told."

"Who were the ghost and why did they appear?"

"Cedric, Frank Bryce, he was a muggle care taker for the Riddle estate, Bertha Jerkins from the ministry and the last was my mom and dad."

"When my wand forced his to submit, it forced Priori Incantatem. Those were the last people he murdered."

"It's well past lunch. Let's stop here and eat."

"I'll fix it Harry," said Emma. "Sandwiches alright?"

He just nodded his head, got up and walked out in to the yard.

Hermione followed and when she was next to him, put her hand in his. He looked down at their joined hands. "I know I'm not her Harry. I don't know if I would have had they courage to stand by you as she did. I just want to offer a little comfort."

"You have more courage than you think Hermione. It took a lot of courage to perform the ritual that brought me here. Which after I finish we will talk about." They strolled hand in hand around the yard. "Your Mom has a knack with plants."

"Like she said it's just a hobby with her."

"Still it's easy on the eyes. Not forced structure like my aunts."

"How in the hell does some one survive that stuff and not go insane?" Dan asked.

"I don't know. I don't know if I could and he was only fourteen. The tournament would have been hard enough, but to watch someone die and then the rest of it. He's more of a man than I am that's for sure."

"I wonder how long he was in the Hospital wing after that." Andi asked shaking her head. "I wonder if he saw a mind healer."

"What's that?"

"Healers that specialize in mental trauma, you would call them psychologists I think."

"Can you imagine the internal fortitude it would take to live his life? Lily, when he mentioned his summers, you looked kind of pale. Why?" Dan had to know.

"My sister and I were very close growing up until I found out about magic. After that we started to drift apart. Every year it got worse. I tried to be there for her but she refused to let me in again. I think she was jealous because she wasn't a witch. I know she wrote the headmaster to see if she could attend Hogwarts, but she didn't have magic so it would do her no good. It got to the point she told me never to contact her again. I can't imagine his life with her. Her husband was worse. He hated any thing he considered abnormal."

"That would explain the scars." Dan said absently.

"What scars?" came from Lily.

"On his back. Emma walked in on him yesterday morning after he took a shower. Didn't have a shirt on. Said he looked like he had been whipped."

"I'll kill them."

"Lily, wrong universe. You can't hold you sister here responsible for what someone else did." Sirius reminded her.

"I suppose you're right, but still…"

"No Lily. Even if she is the same, she didn't do it."

"Fine." She huffed crossing her arms under her breast.

It wasn't long before Emma emerged from the house with a platter full of sandwiches. She looked out in the yard and saw Harry and her daughter. "Be careful Hermione."…"Lunch Harry." She called out.

Harry released her hand and turned at the sound of his name. She turned on the spot; Harry put his hand on the small of her back and urged her back to the table. They ate mostly in silence. Emma kept glancing at her daughter.

"It's fine, Mum. We are both well aware of who is who."

After the table was cleared Harry took a moment. "Since you have not lived the next three years, you will not have a frame of reference. For some of it you have to understand that where I come from the Weasleys are different people. They became the closest thing I had to family or very good friends at least."

"That summer was my worst since starting Hogwarts. Dumbledore decided it would be best if I was left alone to grieve after watching Cedric die…"

"That idiot!" Andi blurted out in anger. "Now is when you need your friends, not isolation."

"I whole heartedly agree. I was on the verge of suicide with no word from the out side. My friends were together but didn't seem to have time to write me. The following summer was almost as bad but Hermione disregarded him that year and wrote anyway."

"Not a lot really happened that year. The Prophet labeled me a delusional attention seeking liar. A nut job if you will. The ministry decided to interfere with the school with Umbridge as the defense teacher. Just reading any book did more good. Talk your way out trouble is what they preached. Not with death eaters. You were dead or worse."

"What could be worse than death?" Dan asked.

"Being expelled." Harry laughed as he looked at Hermione.

"What are you laughing at, Harry?"

"You or at least the other you. First year, we had just found the Cerberus, after curfew. She said that was the last adventure because it could get us killed or worse expelled."

"Ha, ha."

"But seriously Dan, what could be worse than death? Think of what could happen to Hermione."

"Oh. OH! You're right Harry. I wasn't thinking of that."

"Always think of that even if you have a son."

"You're kidding."

"Not in the least. These are not people. They look like you or me but they're animals. You have to think that way or you won't win against them."

"Now aside from a teacher that didn't want you to learn anything that would save your life, she liked to torture students with a blood quill. …"

"You can't be serious."

"Very." He held his hand up to show 'I must not tell lies' in scar tissue on the back of his hand.

"That would have taken…"

"Eighty five hours of using a blood quill. Yes I know."

"Why?"

"Because no one at the ministry wanted to hear that Voldemort was back. The ministry believed he was dead and wanted him to stay that way regardless of what anybody said. The minister most of all. It would make him look bad and his friend Lucy would quite lining his pockets."

"Dumbledore, even though he believed me, avoided me all year. He decided I needed Occlumency lesson because I was having vision that seemed to come from Tom. Snape was giving those lessons, despite the fact we hated each other. It ended up with my mind continuously being raped."

"Why would he do that?"

"Snape? Because I looked like my father. He thought I grew up a pampered and pompous ass. He was an ass. Take your pick. All I know is the visions got worse instead of better. I found out later you have to trust your teacher first."

"One vision did save Arthur's life. Tom Riddle wanted something in the DoM. Specifically in the Hall of Prophesy."

"Why?"

"A prophesy. He heard half of one and wanted to hear the rest. If he had heard all of it the first time, my parents would probably still be a live."

"Do you know it?"

"Yes. It was first told to Dumbledore. He told me at the end of this school year. Right after I lost the closet connection I had to my parents. Perfect timing don't you think?"

"The vision that saved Arthur came at Christmas time. Ruined my first Christmas. I was with Sirius at number twelve…"

"That hell hole."

"Yes, that hell hole. Remember, my Sirius was a wanted criminal with a kiss on sight order. It was the only house he had access to. I was happy to be there, to hear about my parents. To find out what they were like and who they were. I didn't find out everything because certain people tried to keep us apart. But I learned more about them in those two weeks then I had in fifteen years. After Arthur was attacked, I felt guilty and depressed. I saw the whole thing as if I had done it. I was in a deep funk. I wouldn't talk to anyone. I wouldn't eat. Someone must have written to Hermione. She was in France skiing with her parents. She cut her trip short to come see me. She beat some sense into me, made me see that it wasn't my fault. Then she hugged me to let me know that she cared.' Harry snorted. 'She even sat in hippogriff shit for me."

"The visions varied through out the year, but mostly they had to do with the DoM. With no teacher for defense, Hermione came up with the bright idea that I should teach at least some of the students. I don't know how she talked me into it, but she did. She felt I had the most experience. True, defense was my best subject, but she was smarter than I was. I could grasp the practical part if not the theory. And I have to admit I did enjoy teaching if only so that I knew these kids could defend themselves. It had to be done in secret. Dobby the house elf I befriended showed me the Room of Requirement.' Sirius looked dumbfounded. "Seventh floor, the room will become what ever you wanted. Lounge, dueling room, study, you name it, that's what it would become. I had about twenty students Third year and up. By that time I had already faced Tom five times in one form or another and lived. Quite an endorsement."

"Toward the end of the year, during history OWL's no less. I had another vision. Sirius had been caught by Tom and was being tortured in the hall of Prophesy. I blacked out. I told my friends about it and tried to confirm that he was safe. It was late in the evening before we came up with a plan to use the only open floo. Umbridge's office. We were caught but not before Kreacher told me he wasn't there. He lied of course, but I was convinced he had been caught by Tom."

"There were six of us that had been caught trying to make that floo call. Neville, Ginny, Ron, Luna, Hermione and me. All members of my little class. Neville was coming into his own during those classes. His confidence was on the rise. Hermione convinced Umbitch that there was a secret weapon hidden in the forbidden forest. She took me and Hermione to take that weapon. I don't know what she had planned or if it was all fly by the seat of your pants, My kind of plan.' Harry declared proudly. 'But the Centaurs didn't like us being in the forest and interfered. Umbitch spouted out her usual bigoted crap and they took her away with them. By the time we got back to the castle, the others had bested their guards and met us out side. I had planned on going to London alone but they would not hear of it. Six of us rode thestral's to London. Snape knew what was going on as he overheard us. He was supposed to notify the Order. It took hours to fly there. It turned out to be a trap. We were met by twelve death eaters. How we all survived I'll never know. Neville's broke his father's wand as well as his nose. Ginny broke her ankle. Ron summoned some brain like creature and they latched on to him. Luna bruised her chest. I almost lost Hermione that night. Her chest had been slashed open. I thought I was going to die seeing her like that. Neville found her pulse and gave me the strength I needed to carry on. I had to in order to get her help."

"Even with out a wand, Neville stayed by my side. Fought with his bare hands when needed. Took the cruciatus from Bella. The order finally showed up with Dumbledore. Sirius fought Bella, but he wasn't serious about it. She hit him with a stunner and went through the veil. Remus kept me from following him and I wanted to so bad. Neville had accidently dropped and broke the prophesy orb without anybody hearing it."

"I chased Bella back to the atrium trying to keep her from escaping. Cast my first and last crucio that night. It stung her but that was about all. She told me the secret to the curse was that you had to want to cause someone pain for it to work properly. That was something I couldn't do. We fought, though to tell the truth I mostly hid. Tom showed up wanting his prophesy. He wasn't happy to find out six school kids bested his best. He was even madder to find out the prophesy was lost forever. Tom was ready to kill me when Dumbledore showed up. They dueled. I may have problems with Dumby, but he can fight. It was awesome to watch."

"Tom's last ditch effort was to possess me and have Dumbledore kill us both. Sirius was gone, my parents were gone, and my best friend lay near death. I told him to do it. Let me join those that loved me. Emotions, the love I felt for Sirius and Hermione was too much for Tom. He screamed and left my body. Then he left the ministry with Bella."

"Eleven death eaters were caught that night. The minister and a lot of aruorers and ministry staff saw Tom himself in the ministry and had to finally admit he was back. A year too late. A year in which Tom was rebuilding. A year in which aurors budget was cut once again. Malfoy, even caught red handed, was released within days. I learned a valuable lesson that night. If you put them down make damn sure they never get up again."

"Harry, you can't kill them." Lily exclaimed.

"Why not? Do you think for one second that they would hesitate to kill, rape or torture you? The only reason we survived that night was because they didn't know which one of us had Tom's precious prophesy. The reason behind the whole thing. WE fought them fairly. Stunners and petrificus totalus and wound up putting them down two or three times. Look at what they did to Hermione. If Dohlov hadn't had to cast that spell silently, she would have been dead. Of that I have no doubt. Each of the ones that did go to Azkaban were later broken out by Tom to kill and maim and hurt innocent people.' He stood and almost loomed at her over the table; his magic manifested itself physically around him. 'No. Sorry not going to happen again. You saw what happened the last time. How many are you willing to see die this time. I heard of the death camps muggle-born and half-bloods, like me, were sentenced too for stealing magic from pure-bloods. The women were raped repeatedly. They used children to practice the cruciatus. A camp that you would be put sentenced to, and Hermione.' He added softly. 'Not if I can help it. Non-human and mixed breeds like Hagrid were executed just for existing. I saw my classmates die on the field defending their school. I saw hundreds of others fighting weres, dementors and others of our kind defending their children. Fighting for me.' …He choked. 'Dying for me. 'The chosen One.' To give me the chance to end it forever." Tears were streaming as he walked off.

No one spoke for a long time. "He's got a point." Andi finally said. "You and I both know how bad it was. Are we willing to see it happen again? I'm not. Imagine what they would do to Nymphadora."

"Oh God!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Who's Nymphadora?"

"My daughter. She's a half-blood and a metamorphous."

"What is that?"

"Someone that can change their looks at will with out spells. I don't mean like Sirius. Imagine someone who could change to look like…"

"Princess Di." Hermione interjected.

"Yes or any goddess like person you could name."

"Oh." Dan couldn't imagine someone with ability like that, but could understand the implications.

Lily got up and went to where Harry was standing. His fist clenched at his sides but his aurora had settled down enough you could no longer see it. "Harry." She said quietly. "I'm sorry. I guess I got used to the peace after he disappeared the last time. I tried to put the horrors of war behind me and didn't want to think it could happen again. I lost my husband, my child and a lot of good friends the last time. I don't want to lose more. What can I do to help?"

"I don't know.' He let out a long breath. 'I still don't know everything yet. I still need information. I need to talk to Nev. I need to find out who we can trust completely. Where does the ministry stand? Can we expect any help from them or will they fight us? Most of all I need time."

"I need to finish with my Hermione and then I need you and Hermione to tell me about this ritual."

"We can do that. Do you need more time now, after what you have already said?"

"No. I'm fine now." He hesitated. "There is one thing you could do for me."

"What?"

"Give me a hug?"

"With pleasure." Her arms went under his and up to his shoulders and pulled him firmly to her. Harry tentatively put his arms around her waist.

"Thank you." He said as he pulled away.

"Any time Harry. Any time."

Once they were all seated again, Sirius had something to say. "Harry. I can't begin to imagine what you have been through and you are more of a man than I am.' Harry blushed. "No I'm not." "Yes you are. But what I want to know is why are you willing to do it over again?"

"Who else?" No one had an answer, "Look Sirius, it won't be as bad this time. If your Tom is like mine, we have the advantage. I know things about him no one else does, except maybe Dumlbes. We can beat him and he won't even know it until its too late. Let me finish what I started and then we will get to the ritual and then start to plan. Okay?"

"Sure Harry."

"Sixth year was probably my worst year. I know how could it be worse? Hermione and I argued that year. Not your petty one time argument, but all year long. Something we had never done before. Oh we had disagreements, but we never argued. First it was over a damn potion book. It was used and had helpful hints written all over it."

"Why would she argue over that?"

"At the time she claimed it was cheating, later I found out she was afraid. Afraid I wouldn't need her anymore. One of her insecurities, losing a friend. She associated the two. Then there was my belief that Draco Malfoy was out to kill someone in the castle. Namely Dumbledore. It turned out she was partly right about the book. It had some dark and nasty curses in it. But I was right about Malfoy. "

"Dumbledore spent that year teaching me about Riddle and why he didn't die in '81. He had created soul anchors known as Horcruxes. Yes Sirius, that information may have come from the Black library. Bella must have got it for him. We went through his history to find out what he may have used. Hermione decided to settle for Ron, but Ron wanted Lavender Brown. Good pair if you ask me. I tried to comfort her when Ron started kissing Lavender in the common room. Clueless boy here, but I did my best. By the end of the year, I thought she had her heart set on Ron, so I settled for Ginny. Lasted all of two weeks. I ended it at Dumbles funeral. Malfoy had managed to let a bunch of death eaters into the castle in a way no one would have suspected. Which reminds me, Sirius? I need you to buy something from Borges and Burke. Hermione you might want to make a note of this."

"What do you want from those dark dealers?" Sirius asked in disgust.

"Two things actually. The vanishing cabinet he has and a set of cursed daggers."

"Why those?"

"The mate to the cabinet is in Hogwarts. It's broke but can be fixed. That's how the death munchers got in. The daggers will leave a scar even if the cut isn't deep. Cut too deep and it will melt the flesh a body slowly. A close friend of mine was tortured with them and another was killed with one. Bella had them. I want to deny her of her pleasure this time if I can."

"Consider it done."

"Back to sixth year, as I said Draco let in the death eaters, I had a feeling something might happen that night and had the Order alerted and my friends in the DA on watch. Dumbledore and I went mission that night, he was extremely weak when we got back. The dark mark was floating above the school. Dumbles petrified me and covered me with my cloak. Malfoy was there and disarmed Dumbledore almost as soon as we landed. I could hear my friends were fighting the others in the castle. After a while it got quiet and the rest of the DE's come up to the astronomy tower where we were. The Carrows, Greyback, Dohlov and some others I can't remember. Snape was the last to arrive. Draco didn't have it in him to kill the old man, so Snape did. The old man had a twisted sense of humor. You see, the summer before he went looking for the Horcruxes by himself. It was cursed and the curse was slowly killing him. That's why he wanted me to know about them, so I could go out and find them. Untrained and underage. He made Snape swear to kill him if it came to it. He had already killed before, why taint Draco if he could avoid it. The man was to full of second chances. So I had to watch as Snape killed Dumbledore. Watched as he tumble over backward off the tower. A man I had considered a mentor. Manipulative bastard."

"That summer I turned seventeen. Legal age at last. Big deal. Voldemort wanted me dead, the wards would collapse on my birthday and as much as I hated the Dursleys, I didn't want them to die. Arrangements were made to hide them until it was all over. I lost my only other true friend that night. My owl, Hedwig. Beautiful snowy owl. Bright dependable, good listener. We understood each other. My friends would laugh at us sometimes as we talked to each other.' He paused. 'She took a killing curse for me that night. Death eaters knew the wards would fall that night too and were waiting for us."

"How did they know where you lived?"

"Our lovely ministry took care of that. Someone decided I needed to be silenced before my fifth year and sent a pair of dementors to take care of it. Fortunately they didn't know I knew the Protronus, saved me and Dudley, but I was an underage wizard in a muggle neighborhood threatened to snap my wand and expel me form school. A lot of dealing was done and I got a hearing in stead. My luck strikes again. My hearing was in front of the whole Wizengamot. Changed the time and place the day of and almost didn't make it. Mr. Weasley stopped by his office or we wouldn't have known of the change. Madam Bones was in my corner, Thank God. Any way my address was made public due to that."

"Doesn't she have a daughter?"

"Yeah. She should be fourteen here. Redhead, too well built for her own good, quiet Hupple Puff. Nice shield ability."

"What do you mean 'too well built'?"

"Her chest is too large, draws the eyes of too many boys. I bet if you asked most of the boys at school, very few could tell you she has freckles on her nose."

"How do you know, Harry?" asked Emma with a smile.

"Err … I saw them."

"What about the other?"

"What? … Oh. I don't know.' He shrugged. 'Their nice I guess if into that sort of thing, and no I don't bat for the home team. I'm just not into large breast, that's all."

"Could we not talk about other girls? I'd like to get done as its getting close to dinner time."

"Okay Harry we'll stay out of your love life. For now."

"What Love life?" he mumbled. "Okay so I survived a botched secret move from #4. Lost my owl and Mad eye Moody. George Weasley lost an ear, but everyone else was okay."… "Hey Sirius, you still got your bike?"

"You know about that?"

"Yeah was on it twice in my life. Once as a baby and the night I left the Dursleys. Got wrecked that nigh thanks to Tom. Yeah he was there too. He kidnapped Ollivander to find out what the deal was with our wands. Used Lucy's that night, but mine still kicked his ass."

"I had planned on going on the mission to find the Horcruxes on my own, but Hermione and Ron were determined to go along. She had charmed a beaded bag to carry everything we needed; clothes, equipment even a magical tent. Food was the only thing she hadn't been able to get enough of. The ministry fell with in weeks. We spent eight months on the run. I was labeled Undesirable Number One by the new Ministry with a five thousand galleon price on my head. Ron deserted us three months in. A horcrux we found in number twelve played a part in it, but Ron couldn't take the isolation and lack of food either. Thought I didn't know what I was doing, that I was withholding information. Whatever the reason, he left. Hermione didn't. It was during this time we discovered how we felt for each other. Neither of us wanted to break the trio. Neither of us thought we were good enough for the other. Our childhood played a big part too. We were both afraid of losing the friendship we had in each other if the other didn't feel the same. It was during this time I visited my parents' grave for the first time."

"It was Christmas eve. Hermione conjured a Christmas wreath to place on their grave. She was the rock that got me through the grief. Even though I had never known them, being there, seeing their grave, the monument to our family in the town square, brought it all home. Then we saw the house. They left as it was that night as a reminder of their sacrifice for everybody. Messages to me had been written on the plaque. We had already been searching for five months and getting no where. Hermione wanted to erase the graffiti, but I told here no. They inspired me to go on. To finish what we had started."

"Ron came back after months of being gone. While he was gone he found out Voldemort's name had a curse put on it to locate people who dared say it. We got caught because in the heat of an argument, I said it. We were captured. Hermione cast a spell on my face making it hard to recognize me. That is when Bella got to use those daggers on Hermione. She carved the word 'mudblood' in her forearm after repeated use of the cruciatus"

"We were only there a few hours at most before we had an opportunity to escape. Dobby my friend the house elf died as we apparated out. Bella threw on of the Daggers catching him in the chest. He died in my arms. I buried him without magic.' Sniff 'Didn't seem right to do it any other way."

"Even being tortured Hermione was learning things that helped us. Bella had a horcrux in her vault and was afraid we had found it. She was afraid of what ol' Moldy would do to her if it came up missing. WE eventually came up with a plan and broke into Gringotts, her vault and got out by stealing one of their dragons. She had Hupplepuffs goblet, the details aren't important, just that we got it."

"Things started happening fast now. Voldy was checking his anchors. We had three to find and destroy. We found another at school, his snake was another. We destroyed what we had and tried to figure out what else he used. Turns out I had carried it with me since that night. It was my scar. Dumbledore knew it. He had planned my life for me, tried to keep me from making close ties so I could die at the right time."

"He was wrong though, I would gladly die if it meant Hermione would be safe, if it meant she had a future. I did willingly give up my life. What we didn't know was that the ritual that brought him back, served as an anchor for me. When he hit me with the A.K. it severed his soul piece instead of mine. I lived to fight and kill him in the end. I won and lost at the same time. As he died, so did my reason for living. Then I came here."

A/N: Sorry for the long chap. But wanted to get through this. After this we will be mostly AU. I know a lot was left out, but didn't think them necessary.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm just playing in JKR's sand box.

Chapter 7: The Ritual and Alliances

After explaining what his Hermione had done for him and what she meant to him they decided it was time for dinner. Lily, wanting to get closer to Harry decided she would help make dinner with Harry and Emma.

"What master piece will you make tonight, Harry?" she asked.

"Well let's see what is in the fridge." He found a small beef roast, carrots and celery and decided a nice beef stew would be the quickest to make. He got these ingredients out and selected half dozen large potatoes to be peeled and diced and set the ladies to work while he sliced and diced the roast. He also opened two cans of peas and stewed tomatoes. Setting a medium sized kettle on the stove, he started by browning the meat and then adding ingredients as they were prepared. After everything else was in the pot, he added enough water to compensate for the juice and then added spices. All told, it took about an hour and a half to prepare and cook.

"Do you ever measure when you add spices?" Lily asked.

"Ah…no. Just experience." He answered sheepishly.

Everyone enjoyed the stew and there were almost no left-overs. Conversation was light. Dan and Hermione cleaned up since the others cooked. Then they all went to the living room for tea and explanations.

"Now then, you know about me and my universe and I know some about yours, it's time for you to tell me about the ritual and why you brought me here."

"The prophecy exist in both worlds', Lily started to explain, 'but with our Harry dying and the belief that V-V-Voldemort not truly dying, we needed a champion. I helped Hermione research for a ritual or spell that would help us defeat Him. I just couldn't bring myself to perform the ritual. Performing it over my son's grave was more than I could handle."

"Why there?"

"Since he was the last to vanquish Him, we felt that what ever it was that my son had or did could aid in finding the right person or whatever to aid us."

"Okay, I can understand that part. What about the ritual itself? What did you specify?"

"The runes depicted strength, power, compassion, ability and a willingness to come or at least leave where they were. A blood sacrifice was also required." Hermione explained.

"How much blood and why?"

"Enough to bring you here. It required a sacrifice."

"And if you had failed?"

"I would probably have died." Dan and Emma gasped at this.

"Hermione, you didn't tell us that." Shouted Dan.

"Would you have let me try if I had?"

"No!"

"That's why I didn't tell you." She said defiantly.

"Mione, Mione, Mione,' Harry said as he shook his head, 'I'm not complaining that you did it, but you should have been more sure of your results or at least had someone to help you. What good was your dying if you failed?"

"You don't understand Harry. You don't know what its like to live here.' Hermione replied passionately. "What it's like to be hated because of who your parents are or more precisely what they aren't. Lily has the Potter name and money. I and the other muggle-borne don't have that to protect us. We would have to leave either the magical world or England to survive. I don't want to do either. I want to live in both worlds, but with His return, if he gains the support and power He had the last time, that will never happen."

"You could marry like Lily did." Harry replied.

"Humph,' she snorted, 'if there were any decent wizards to marry that might be an option, but there aren't. The only decent one is Neville and I just don't feel that way about him. When I marry, I want it to be for love like she or my mother did if at all possible. I want a husband that will let me work in my chosen field, not be a show piece or a baby factory."

_So much like my Hermione, _he thought. "Okay, so now it comes down to whom do you trust with your life to help us?"

"Well, there's my cousin Andi here, her husband Ted and maybe their daughter Nym" ticked off Sirius.

"Dora? Is she an auror?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, she's just out of the academy. You knew her?"

"Yeah, she was a member of the Order, fell in love, got married and had a little boy before she died. Great sense of humor, always screwing up her face for a laugh."

"My daughter got married and had a son? Who did she marry?"

"Yes but I don't know if I should tell you that. It might not happen here and why jinx it? Who else could we trust? Any of the teachers or aurors?"

"McGonagal and Flitwick…" Lily started.

"How loyal are they to the headmaster?" Harry interrupted. "Remember, Dumbles isn't to be trusted yet. He has to prove himself."

"I could sound them out and see where they stand. Then there's the Potter Alliance…"

"Potter Alliance? What is that? I never heard of it?"

"Unless you had claimed your heritage as Head of House, you wouldn't have." Answered Lily.

"Okay, who's in it?" Harry inquired.

"Bones, Longbottom, Abbott, Greengrass and Davis."

"What do you know about their children, Hermione?"

"What makes you think I know any of them?"

"Because all of them should have children in your year. Susan and Hannah are probably in Hupplepuff, Daphne and Tracy are probably in Slytherin."

"Don't you find it odd, Lily, that all of them are girls and Harry knows their names?" Sirius smirked.

"He does seem to know several girls doesn't he?" she smiled in response.

"Hey. They were in my classes too you know. Susan and Hannah were in my little defense class that I taught in fifth year. Daphne and Tracy were known as the Ice Princesses of Slytherin. Untouchable by anyone. And I knew lots of guys too. I heard some nasty rumors about those that tried."

"Name some of the boys you know." Sirius said.

"Well there was Ron and Neville and Dean, Seamus, Colin, Terry, Justin, the twins and Cedric."

"I thought you didn't have many friends?" Lily asked.

"I didn't say they were my friends, just that I knew them. Same with the girls, I knew of them, but I didn't know them. Anyway we off topic. Tell me about this alliance and who else we can trust."

"Alliances were formed by the old families for mutual aid and benefit, usually for politics and commerce, some times for protection. The Potter Alliance was all of these." Sirius explained. "The alliance hasn't been called forth since before James died."

"Can all of these families still be trusted and how do we call them together?"

"The Head of House Potter could call them together and have them renew the oaths of allegiance." Sirius replied.

Harry sat back and thought for a minute. "Okay, let's hold off on that for now. I would like to know more about this alliance, what it means and the people involved in it before we call them in. Who else?"

"I can't think of any one else off the top of my head. Let me put out some feelers and check around." Came from Sirius as he looked around the table, everyone else shook their heads in the negative.

"What would happen if House of Black joined this alliance?" Harry asked.

"Probably wouldn't change much. They all know that I support Lily in most things."

"Good." Harry said as he nodded his head. "Does any one know any reliable curse breakers?"

Negative. "What about the goblins? Would they destroy dark objects if we paid them?"

"What king of dark objects?" inquired Sirius.

"Horcruxes."

"They might, but it won't be cheap."

"I'd give them all the gold I have to make sure that mad man dies for good. Don't forget Sirius, I brought the Potter and Black fortune here with me. I can afford it."

"Now, Sirius, I have several questions for you about the Black family and what power you have as it's head. What do you know of Narcissa Malfoy? I know she's Andi's sister and your cousin, but what do you know of her present status?"

"We haven't talked in years. Why?"

"Just a hunch, but I don't think she's happy. If she asked could you do something for her?"

"That would be up to her and the marriage contract her father signed."

Harry nodded his head, "What would happen if you had cause to dissolve Bella's marriage and then cast her out of house Black?"

Sirius thought for a few minutes, "It would cause her a lot of financial problems as a lot of her money still comes from the Black family. Why?"

"Wouldn't that hurt Tom?" he asked.

"What house were you in? That is a very Slytherin thing to do."

"Gryffindor, but the hat wanted to put my in Slytherin and if I hadn't met Draco Malfoy first, I might have let it."

"Sirius, is your brother still alive?"

"No."

"What do you know of his death?"

"Only that HE-who-…"

"Sirius, if you are serious about this fight, use his name or call him Tom. Fear of his name just increases your fear of him. He is just a man, an evil man, but just a man."

"Alright, V-Voldemort killed him."

"Only indirectly. Is Kreacher still around?"

"What do you want with that crazy elf?"

"There are many reasons why he is like he is. One is the way you treat him. The other, if I'm right, is because Reggie gave him a task he couldn't complete. We can help him with that. Call him. And after he comes do not yell at him."

"KREACHER."

'POP' Kreacher took in his surroundings. "Mudbloods, Half-bloods, muggle vermin and blood traitors, what would my mistress say?"

"Kreacher, Be silent." Sirius commanded.

"Now ask him if he still has Regulas's locket?" Kreacher looked at Harry in surprise.

"Kreacher, what do you know of the locket Harry mentioned?"

"Kreacher can not tell family of locket. Master Regulas ordered me not to."

"Tell him to tell me about it."

"Kreacher tell Harry what you know about the locket."

Kreacher looked at Harry, confused, "Master? How can there be two masters?"

"I am not your master here Kreacher. In another world, yes, but not here. Now what happened to Master Reggie?"

"Master Reggie made a mistake. Took the Dark Lords brand only to find he was a liar. But before that, the Dark Lord needed an elf and Master Reggie had me to do his bidding. Ordered Kreacher to return to him after. The Dark Lord had Kreacher drink a potion so he could hide something in the bowl, made Kreacher very ill. He left Kreacher there, only Masters orders for Kreacher to return saved Kreacher. Master Reggie nursed Kreacher back to health. Later after Master Reggie found out truth about Dark Lord, he had Kreacher take him back to cave. He drank the potion and ordered me to destroy the locket that was in the bowl. Kreacher tried and tried,' He said as tears left his eyes. 'but nothing Kreacher could do would destroy it."

"Kreacher, what happened to Master Reggie?" Harry asked softly.

"Undead from the lake tore him apart as they pulled him into the water. Kreacher wanted to help, but Master Reggie ordered me away. I had to obey." He bellowed.

Harry knelt and hugged the distraught elf. "I know Kreacher, I know." He said softly.

Sirius was in shock. "He-he went against the Dark Lord?"

"Yes Sirius, he did. He died trying to prove you weren't alone in the Black family to go against him. Now Kreacher this is very important. Where is the locket?"

"It is at the ancestral home of Black."

"We need for you to be sure and then hide it until we ask for it. Hide it with magic if you must and when the time is right, we will help you fulfill your Masters last order. Can you do that for us?"

"Yes Master Harry. Kreacher can do that." Replied Kreacher with the look of awe on his face.

"It's Harry, just Harry." He said as Kreacher popped away.

"I would have never thought the little guy had a compassionate bone in his body." Sirius remarked, sad and in awe at the same time.

"Most, not all, but most witches and wizards dismiss their house elves as if they don't exist unless they want something. In families that regard their elves as something more like a friend, family or equal, they have a powerful ally that will die to defend them. Did you know that a house elf can by-pass any ward set up by wizards as long as it is not for evil intent?"

The magicals in the room looked at each other in surprise.

"Hermione, what does it say in 'Hogwarts: A History' about apparation?" asked Harry.

"It can't be done by any but the current Headmaster, the same is true about portkeys."

"But the house elves of Hogwarts do it all the time. How else would they get supplies in?"

"Then why aren't family house elves allowed to take care of the children?" asked Sirius.

"Hermione."

"It's against the bylaws according to 'Hogwarts: A History' because many of the children, like me, wouldn't have one. It was to encourage children to take care of themselves more."

"Also, the school provides elves to do many of the chores, so they are not needed. But we are getting off topic again."

"Another problem we have to figure out is, how do we explain me?"

**A/N:** Any ideas how to explain Harry's presence? And should he do an inherence test with the goblins?


End file.
